Bullets & Boggarts
by Black666Hunter
Summary: Severus has gone missing. Can two down on their luck bounty hunters find him and bring him back home safely? WARNING: contains adult language, slash, violene and sexual activity. Don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
STRANGEST HUNT EVER *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Wandering down the street, two battered and exhausted men found a dingy motel and headed for the office, paying for just one night before disappearing into the room and locking the door behind them. Pulling the curtains and turning on the lights, they calmed a little before taking a seat at the table. Reaching inside his heavy coat, the shorter of the pair dug out a creased piece of parchment and set it on the table, equidistance from them both.  
'I still don't like it Boss, it's just too weird.' the taller of the pair muttered, hugging his chest as he gazed at the crumpled page on the table in front of him.  
'I know buddy, I know. I wouldn't even consider it normally but look at where we've found ourselves after all we've struggled through. There isn't enough work out there for us, there are to many of us trying for the same jobs.' the other sighed, hanging his head sadly.  
'We've still got the option of going back to the army. Sure, it'd suck after all we've gone through together but at least we'd get three squares a day and a permanent income.'  
'Hell no, I'm not that desperate. I swore I'd never go back there, no matter how bad things got. I know this one sucks but do you really think you'd be happy going back to flying for Uncle Sam?'  
' no, it'd be a new form of torture. I'm just nervous about dealing with this.' he sighed, poking the letter on the table.  
'So am I buddy, I'm scared out of my mind. We don't have a choice though, we have to find this guy and get him safely home. I don't particularly like taking on such a random job but it's got to be better than dumpster diving for our meals.' the shorter man agreed, cleaning his glasses quickly.  
'Well, we might as well get on with this. No point putting this off if it's going to get us some food.'  
'Now you're talking Rufus. We'd best take a proper look at the brief before we start our search.'

Picking up the letter, Rufus unfolded the page and caught the freaky photo that fell out. Holding it up, he watched the black clad man in the image twitch and look around nervously, face half hidden by his long black hair. Taking the parchment from his hand, the shorter man angled it into the light and frowned.  
'Normally I would not ask men such as yourselves for assistance but our need is dire. A dear friend has gone missing and all our efforts to locate him have failed. If he is not located and returned home soon, I fear we will lose him forever. You will find enclosed a very recent image of our missing friend, taken just days before his disappearance. When you have found him, further instructions will be sent to you so you can escort him home to us.' he read, shaking his head slowly.  
'Great, just great. Whoever wrote this neglected to even mention who this guy is.' Rufus groused, peering intently at the photo.  
'I guess we'll just have to wing it this time. Come on, might as well get this over with.'  
'Sleep first Aloysius, I'm too damn tired to be of much use if we got into a brawl or worse, a gun fight.' Rufus sighed, handing the photo over and wandering over to the nearest bed.  
'Yeah, you're probably right.' Aloysius agreed, gazing at the photo for a few moments before tucking it out of sight. 'Don't even mention a gun battle, I've got less than two full clips.' he sighed, flopping down on the other bed fully clothed.

Already exhausted, despite the fact it was just after lunch, the nervous duo headed for another of the shadier parts of the city, weapons close to hand as they continued their search for their mystery target.  
'Where do we even start looking in this area?' Rufus asked, jumping a good three feet straight up when three women screamed and came racing out of a dark little pub.  
'There might be good.' Aloysius shrugged, watching as a scruffy looking man hobbled from the pub, ducking various projectiles as he tried to get away.  
'Freak! Kill the freak!' three men followed him outside, gathering around him and driving him to the ground.  
'Come on, if that's our target we have to rescue him.'  
'And if it's not?' Rufus asked, already heading towards the fight.  
'We're saving some other poor bastard from a grizzly death.'

Wading into the fight, Rufus used his superior height to muscle into the middle and stand over the fallen man, drawing a knife from under his heavy coat.  
'You'll pick on him but are you game enough to try something with us?' Rufus challenged, knife light in his hand as his companion dragged one man off balance and knocked him out.  
'This man is under our protection.' Aloysius added, tackling a second man clear just as Rufus sliced his heavy knife across the third man's chest. The wound wasn't very deep but it was enough to drive him back and send him running down the street.

The battle over, Rufus slid the knife back out of sight and knelt, rolling the battered man over and brushing the long black hair out of his eyes carefully. Digging in his pocket, Aloysius crouched and held the photo near the terrified face looking up at them with wide dark eyes.  
'Yep, this is our man. Even with the wardrobe change, it's clear to see as far as I'm concerned. Come on; let's get the hell out of here before that guy comes back with reinforcements.' Rufus confirmed, hauling the weakened man to his feet.  
'Too late, here they come.' Aloysius warned, spotting five men coming towards them armed with all manner of weaponry.  
'Can you run?' Rufus asked, gaze turning back to the man before him. Lowering his gaze, the frightened man shook his head and rubbed one hip lightly. 'Come on, you're coming with us. Someone hired us to get you home.' Rufus grinned, scooping their target over his shoulders and breaking into a run.  
'Faster Rufus, they're gaining on us.' Aloysius urged, glancing over his shoulder.  
'We need a place to hide, I can't run any faster.' Rufus replied, worried gaze scanning the area around them.  
'I know a place, that way.' their target guided, pointing them down a narrow alley.  
'That's as good a direction as any.' Aloysius nodded, hustling after Rufus as he switched his grip and carried their target against his chest so he didn't connect with the walls.

Bursting out of the alley, they skidded to a stop and looked around again for a new direction, their pursuers gaining ground.  
'Put me down, I can show you the way.'  
'I hope so, those bastards really want your head.' Rufus sighed, easing their target down and following as he hobbled down the street. Sighing softly, Aloysius sidled up beside him and wrapped one arm around his waist, supporting the wounded man against his side.  
'So where are we going?' Rufus asked, coming up on the other side.  
'The Leaky Cauldron.' he replied, indicating the place and guiding the pair inside. 'They won't find us here as we can stay here as long as needed.' he added, leaning heavily against the men supporting his weight.

Approaching the bar, Rufus and Aloysius glanced at each other nervously, worried they couldn't afford to stay at even this dingy little place for a night.  
'We need a room for the night.' their target offered, sliding away from them and easing onto the nearest barstool.  
'Just one room?'  
'I do not have much money.'  
'Alright, one room it is. Up the stairs, last door on the left. That'll be one galleon.' hunting through his pockets, he found a large gold coin and handed it across before easing to his feet. Reaching under the counter, the bar tender handed him a simple silver key, bare of any adornments bar a small tag bearing the number 7.  
'Come with me, we will be safe here for a while.' he guided, hobbling towards the stairs at the far end of the room. Rolling his eyes behind his glasses, Aloysius returned to his previous position, supporting the injured man against his side.

Finding the right room, Rufus took the key from unresisting fingers and opened the door, moving aside so Aloysius could get their target inside. Glancing over his shoulder one last time to make sure the coast was clear, Rufus ducked into the room and closed the door behind them firmly. Approaching the only bed in the room, Aloysius eased their target down and guided him to lay back, taking all weight off his injured hip.  
'Who are you?' he asked, flicking his filthy black hair out of his eyes.  
'I'm Aloysius and this is my friend Rufus. What's your name?'  
'I I can't remember. It's right there, I just know it but '  
'Don't stress, it'll come to you. For now, just settle back and rest, you're in safe hands now.' Rufus soothed, pulling a light blanket over the frightened man and backing away slowly.  
'why are you doing this?' he asked, sitting up a little before hissing and collapsing back as his wounded hip complained painfully.  
'Someone hired us to protect you and bring you safely home. They gave no names, only instructions to find you and keep you safe. Further instructions are coming regarding taking you home.' Aloysius explained, handing him the letter and photo.

Reading the brief letter quickly, the exhausted man nodded and lay back, drawing the blanket over his shoulders slowly.  
'Sleep well, no harm will come to you while you're with us.' Aloysius grinned, pulling the thin blanket up a little more over his back.  
'Thank you.' he replied, burrowing under the covers and closing his eyes.  
'Maybe this one won't be so bad.' Rufus uttered, clutching his stomach as he was reminded that he hadn't had much to eat for a few days.  
'Stay with him, I'll see about getting us some food. I think I saw a dumpster back a couple blocks.' Aloysius whispered, heading for the door quietly.  
'Take this downstairs and ask the bartender to send up food to room seven.' turning slowly, Aloysius chuckled as their target offered out a silver coin from under the blankets.  
'Thanks, anything on offer in this place has got to be better than our other option.' Aloysius nodded, taking the coin and making sure he kept a firm grip on it as he took the key and headed downstairs.  
'What's your other option?' he asked, gazing sadly at Rufus as the bigger man tried to ignore the uncomfortable feelings in his gut.  
'Dumpster diving. It's not pretty and definitely not healthy but we've got nothing else. There's not enough work for people like us, assassins and hunters of men. Things have been rough for a couple years, finances ran out, we had to sell what we had just to eat but finally we were all out of options. We're hoping that whoever is searching for you will be generous and give us enough to get by on for a while.' Rufus explained, getting up off the couch and walking over to sit beside the bed.  
'Whoa, I ' falling silent, the exhausted man shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. 'So cold.' he uttered, curling up into he smallest ball he could.  
'Here, this should help. Sorry about the smell.' Rufus offered, slipping his jacket off and flicking the heavy coat over the trembling man.  
'It's okay, I've smelt worse living on the streets around here. Thank you.' he uttered, managing a tiny grin and he closed his eyes again.  
'Don't mention it, we'll make sure you get home safely and in the best health possible. Shhh, just settle in and close your eyes, I'll be right here when you wake up.' Rufus soothed, reaching up to lightly caress that filthy black mop cascading over the pillow.  
'm'kay.' he replied, slowly sinking towards sleep.

Snorting softly, Rufus stirred from his restful slumber and yawned before blinking slowly. At first he wondered what was different but then he realised what it was. For the first time in months, he wasn't dealing with the mind numbing hunger that had been slowly driving him crazy. Running one hand through his hair, he got to his feet and stretched before padding over to open the window and let in a barn owl. Swooping inside, the owl dropped an envelope and slim package on the table before turning and sweeping from the room again. Closing the window, Rufus looked at the two items and shrugged before settling back beside the bed.  
'Breakfast.' Aloysius called, returning to the room with a tray balanced on one hand.  
'The owl just left, our next instructions are here.' Rufus grinned, indicating the two items already on the table.  
'Well, guess we'd better see what's next.' Aloysius shrugged, putting the tray down and picking up the letter.

Groaning softly, their new friend emerged from under the blanket and lifted his head slowly. One hand combing through his hair, he blinked and tried to remember what had lead him to this point.  
'Hey, look who's awake. Breakfast is here if you're interested.' Aloysius grinned, indicating the third plate on the table.  
'Breakfast sounds good.' he agreed, easing off the covers and hobbling over to the table.  
'So what does it say this time?' Rufus asked, munching contentedly on a piece of toast.  
'Congratulations on finding your target so quickly, now it is time for you to bring him back home. Enclosed you will find three tickets for the train that you need to take to your final destination. I have also sent something particularly important to your target, give it to him and see what happens. Hopefully it will start to undo the damage done by this curse. The train leaves in four days, make sure you do not miss it, there is no other way to reach your destination.' Aloysius read, picking up the long skinny package and holding it out to their target as he joined them at the table.  
'What's this?' he asked, looking at the neatly wrapped item carefully.  
'Don't ask us, we've been told to give it to you. Apparently it's important to you.' Rufus shrugged, picking up the tickets and staring at them. 'Well this is kinda weird.'  
'This job has been kinda weird from the start Rufus. What's the weird part now?' Aloysius sighed, chewing on a sausage.  
'This train we're supposed to catch leaves from platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station.' Rufus shrugged, handing the tickets back to Aloysius and shaking his head.  
'We've got four days to find it, we'll make it to that train.' Aloysius sighed, tucking the letter and tickets into the secure pocket inside his jacket before buckling the flap closed.

Pulling the paper clear, the third man at the table held up the dark piece of timber and grinned as he felt a surge race up his arm. Eyes widening slightly, Rufus and Aloysius watched in disbelief as he gave the stick a wave and Rufus' battered and badly patched jacket was like new.  
'What the fuck was that?' Aloysius yelped, backing away quickly.  
'A simple repairing spell, nothing to it once you learn how. I'd forgotten I could do things like that though.'  
'What else do you remember?' Rufus asked, trying to calm the situation down before Aloysius decided to bail out despite their desperate need for money. 'Like your name.'  
'My name is Severus, I don't remember any more than that. I think I know where we have to go next, the memories are still a little fuzzy.' he offered, returning to the table and hiding his wand up the sleeve of his grimy white shirt.  
'Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Where do we go from here Severus?' Rufus nodded, relaxing a little more when Aloysius returned to the table and settled.  
'Back down to the ground floor and out the back, I can find the way to Diagon Alley. I think this belongs to a vault at Gringott's bank, there might be some clues there.' Severus uttered, fishing out a small gold key on a thin leather string around his neck.  
'Diagon Alley? We used to spend a lot of time in London and I've never heard of that particular street.' Aloysius scoffed, really not sure about this change of events.  
'I'm not exactly sure why it's important, I just know we have to go there. I'm trying to remember but I can't get more than that. You have to believe me, I'm not messing around here.' Severus fell silent as Rufus gently squeezed his shoulder.  
'Aloysius, knock it off. Severus is scared enough as it is, pointing out flaws isn't going to help. You can back out now if you want, I'll escort him home but we stand a better chance if we stick together.' Rufus growled, pushing his own nerves deep down so he could focus. 'We at least owe Severus that much, he's taken pretty good care of us so far. A room for the night and two meals, we've done better by his side then we've done in months.'  
'I know, I'm just scared out of my mind. This is well beyond what we're used to, spells and mysterious places we've never heard of. I don't know what to expect next, I'm already on edge and these strange goings on aren't helping.' Aloysius sighed, hanging his head for a moment. 'Sorry Severus, I didn't mean to scare you. I know you're trying and I'm not trying to make you feel bad.'  
'It's alright Aloysius, I understand. This isn't easy, for any of us but we have to keep striving for answers. When I got my wand back, memories started coming back. Perhaps whatever is in this vault at Gringott's will guide us further.' Severus replied, pushing his hair out of his eyes.  
'Hang on, I might have something to help with that.' Rufus grinned, getting up and searching his pockets. Finding what he wanted, he returned to Severus' side and gently pulled his hair back off his shoulders.  
'What are you doing?' he asked, jumping at the contact.  
'Just relax, I'm just tying your hair back out of your eyes.' Rufus soothed, pulling the leather thong firm and tying it off.  
'Now that makes a real difference.' Aloysius grinned, readjusting the matching band holding his own unruly locks out of the way.  
'Are you ready?' Rufus asked, finishing his breakfast quickly and pulling on his coat.  
'I think so. I'll need your help though, I can barely stand to put any weight on my right leg.' Severus nodded, draining his teacup and pushing his chair back.  
'All you had to do was ask Severus. Our job isn't finished until we get you home, until then, we'll be right here beside you.' Aloysius grinned, gathering up the last pieces of breakfast in a plastic bag and tucking it in his pocket.  
'Put your arms around my neck, it's okay. Whenever you're not feeling strong enough, you can always count on us.' Rufus coaxed, crouching down a little and waiting until Severus had both arms around his neck. 'Doesn't matter what's going on around us, you can always find shelter right here.'  
'Thank you.' he uttered, relaxing a little as the bigger man straightened and carried him out of the room.

Handing the key back and trooping out the back, Severus reached out with his wand and tapped several of the bricks, grip tightening on Rufus' collar as the bigger man jumped back in shock as the wall folded back to reveal the entrance into the alley.  
'There it is, Diagon Alley. Don't be afraid, this is the start of my journey home. Step through but stay close, I don't want you getting harmed by anything here.' Severus coaxed, scanning the curious onlookers for a few moments.  
'I trust you Severus, you've done right by us so far.' Rufus nodded, glancing at Aloysius before stepping through the opening.  
'But that doesn't mean we won't take our duties seriously.' Aloysius added, moving forward to take up a position just ahead and to the right of Rufus.  
'We have to go to the bank first, that vault is important. Once we've done that we can relax and go over what new information is unlocked.' Severus briefed, hiding his face as the whispers started all around them.  
'Muggles but who is that with them?' one witch asked her friend, watching the trio closely.  
'I can't tell, but he's a wizard. Has to be, otherwise those muggles couldn't have gotten into Diagon Alley.' the other replied, drawing her red robe in closer.  
'What are they going on about?' Aloysius asked, glancing over his shoulder at Severus.  
'I'm trying Aloysius but it's not coming. It's not pleasant at least I don't think it's pleasant.' Severus uttered, trying to seem as small as possible so people would just stop staring at him.

Finally reaching the bank, Rufus followed the soft directions muttered in his ear until they were standing in front of a large desk, looking at a rather unsightly goblin.  
'I'd like to access the vault connected with this key.' Severus offered, holding out the key.  
'The muggles cannot be here.' the goblin replied, taking the key.  
'these two are on orders to escort me home, orders from someone very important even if I can't remember the name of that person. They have been ordered to stick close until I am safely home.' Severus growled, secretly proud he'd remembered that much.  
'Besides, it's not like you're going anywhere on that leg.' Rufus added, trying to calm the situation down before things got really nasty.  
'Well yes, there is that as well.' Severus agreed, relaxing fractionally into the powerful arms wrapped around him.  
'Very well, come with me then.' the goblin agreed, leading the trio away.

Slowly getting to his feet, Rufus shook off the effects of their wild ride before once again hoisting Severus into his arms and carrying him over to the large door. Inserting the key, the little goblin unlocked the door and pulled it open, motioning for Severus to enter. Crossing the threshold, Rufus carried Severus over to a comfortable looking chair beside a large chest as Aloysius moved to stand in the entrance, watching over the pair the best he could. Easing Severus down, Rufus backed off a little and held the lamp high as Severus reached for the chest and opened it.  
'So what'd you find this time?' Aloysius asked, not moving from his self imposed position.  
'You'll find out in a few minutes Aloysius.' Severus replied over the rustling of cloth.

Watching the transformation, Rufus couldn't believe what he was seeing as torn and ragged clothes were thrown aside and replaced with crisp black clothes, a muttered incantation making short work of his buttons.  
'Rufus, a little help if you wouldn't mind.' he uttered, face tight with pain as he eased to his feet.  
'Course I don't mind, I'm here for you.' Rufus replied, wrapping his free arm around Severus' chest and holding him up as he finished dressing then turned back to the chest. Easing Severus down again, Rufus took a knee and laced his shoes, unconcerned by the subservient posture he was in as he worked.  
'Wasn't expecting that.' Severus muttered, watching Rufus' hands in the light from the lamp. 'Few wizards willingly kneel for another.'  
'Good thing I'm not a wizard then.' Rufus grinned, rocking back onto his haunches and pulling out the last piece of clothing in the chest. Taking the cloth in both hands, Severus relaxed into Rufus' tender grip and slid the long black cloak up onto his shoulders, smoothing it out with a flick.  
'I need to rest a minute. Memories are unlocking and it's making me rather dizzy.' he uttered, drawing the cloak around his frame as Rufus eased him back into the chair, careful to keep the weight off that troublesome right hip.

Eyes closing, Severus focused on his breathing and relaxed a little more, fingers trailing over the cloak as he muttered softly about memories coming back to him.  
'Just relax, I've found this to be helpful.' Rufus soothed, leaning over the back of the chair and placing his fingertips lightly against Severus' temples before starting to rub in small, slow circles.  
'Oohh, most agreeable Rufus.' Severus groaned, slumping back a little more.  
'Shhh, just let go and relax. We'll keep you from harm, if you'll only trust us.' Rufus whispered, continuing his tender touches for a few moments longer.

Nodding slowly, Severus gently pushed his hands away and drew a leather pouch from inside his robe. Coming around the chair, Rufus supported him and watched in wonder as Severus gathered up a large collection of gold, silver and bronze coins from the large piles around the perimeter of the vault. Once he was satisfied he had enough for the time being, Severus headed back towards the door, safe in those strong arms again.  
'Well look at you now Severus, talk about a transformation.' Aloysius grinned, taking in the new look and nodding appreciatively.  
'Oh, before I forget.' Severus uttered, drawing his wand. 'Accio trunk.' he called, wand pointing back into the vault. Rufus and Aloysius openly gawked as the trunk floated out of the vault and straight towards Severus. Stepping forward, Aloysius caught the trunk and grunted under the weight before stepping back onto the trolley and settling. Reaching out again, Severus tapped the trunk and shrunk it down to a more comfortable size for everyone concerned.  
'That is going to take some getting used to.' Rufus muttered, settling comfortably and holding on as they were whisked away again.

Emerging from the bank, Rufus and Aloysius found a quiet spot out of the way and slumped back against the wall to catch their breaths as people once again started staring at them in disbelief and whispering among themselves. Dropping his gaze, Severus tried to hide away from the curious stares as people started talking about him instead of his companions.  
'There's nothing for it, we have to do something about you two before someone starts asking uncomfortable questions. There, Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. Go inside, you two need a quick change of clothes.' Severus hissed, pointing to the appropriate store across the street and down a bit. Putting their trust in the older man again, the two stunned men followed his directions without thought.

Finding a comfortable seat, Rufus set Severus down and looked around the store in wonder, feeling rather out of place as he stood there in grimy jeans and a ragged t-shirt and newish coat.  
'Professor Snape, what a surprise. How can we be of assistance today? New robes for you or are you looking for a new style?' an older witch in mauve robes asked, walking over to them.  
'Not today Madam Malkin. My new assistants have been spending far too much time in the muggle world and require new robes. Their previous ones were misplaced somewhere in London and I refuse to walk around while people are whispering about them and calling them muggles.' Severus lied, indicating the two men beside him.  
'Something similar to your own I assume.' she nodded, ushering the duo away towards the fitting area.  
'Similar but perhaps a little more relaxed. They do not have such a title after all.' Severus agreed, settling back to wait as his friends were measured and brand new robes were tailored for them.  
'Given the nature of your work, would I be correct in assuming more than one set will be required?'  
'Quite right, I believe eight each will be enough for now. If there are too many disasters, I will owl for more.' Severus nodded slowly to soothe his friends as they tried not to panic now that they were well out of their comfort zone.

Doing his best not to show his discomfort, Severus waited patiently as the first new outfits were finished and his companions were hustled into changing rooms.  
'You may keep the muggle clothes, just in case you decide to go back to whatever it was you were doing.' he called, bringing his trunk out and turning it back to its regular size.  
'Thank you Professor.' Aloysius replied, hiding his weapons quickly and shouldering into his cloak before emerging from the change room, filthy clothes bundled up in one hand.  
'Put them in there for the time being.' Severus instructed, indicating the open trunk as Rufus emerged and adjusted his cloak.

Looking them over, Severus nodded and eased to his feet, weight resting mostly on his left foot as he looked at them. The basic shapes were the same as his own clothes but true to his request, quite a bit more relaxed. Instead of a straight line of buttons down the front, theirs had an extended front panel that buttoned at an angle up to the left, ending at a point just below their collarbones. This left a portion of their necks clear, exposing the crisp white shirts underneath. The sleeves were a little bit shorter, leaving their wrists bare and revealing a little more white as the dark cloth hugged every muscle but still left enough give to be very comfortable. Long black cloaks finished the look, curling around their feet and draping elegantly down their backs.  
'This will do nicely Madam Malkin, very nicely indeed.' Severus nodded, easing back down onto the chair.  
'It will not take long to finish the order Professor Snape.' she replied, weaving her magic around the fabric before her.  
'Good, there is still much to be done.' Severus sighed, offering his companions a comforting smile as they crouched beside him and watched the goings on.  
'I take it your memories are coming back.' Rufus uttered, relaxing into this strange new world a little more with every passing minute.  
'Some things yes, others are still foggy Rufus.' Severus confirmed, careful to keep his voice down.  
'Thanks for doing this too, I was starting to worry we were going to get into some serious trouble.' Aloysius added, lightly tracing his fingers over the cloak draped over his shoulders.  
'All the more reason to help you blend in Aloysius.' Severus grinned, still admiring how the men looked in their new outfits.

Wrapping the finished robes up neatly, Madam Malkin handed the packages to the pair and watched them tuck the precious bundles into the trunk before Severus paid what was owed for the clothes.  
'Where to next?' Rufus asked, helping Severus up and lifting him again as Aloysius grabbed the shrunken trunk and followed.  
'How about we head back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch and then come back to finish shopping?' Severus suggested, feeling more like his old self now that he was back in his robes.  
'Lunch sounds like a fine idea.' Aloysius agreed, amazed by how light the trunk in his hands felt as they headed for the exit. 


	2. Chapter 2

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
RETURNING HOME *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Hiding his face timidly, Severus hung on tight around Rufus' throat as they walked through Kings Cross Station. Eyes scanning the crowds, Aloysius found the spot his eyes slid away from and nodded sharply, recognising the trick for what it was.  
'I've got it, just like you said Severus.' he grinned, falling into place behind a group of red heads.  
'Okay, you know what to do.' Severus nodded, tensing slightly as Rufus adjusted his hold and Aloysius tightened his grip on the trolley.  
'I'll go first.' Aloysius grinned, watching the children vanish through the bricks before charging the barrier and disappearing through.  
'Ready?' Rufus asked, swallowing nervously as Severus tightened his grip a little more.  
'I think so.' he replied, fear of the unknown coming out again.  
'Here we go.' Rufus warned, bolting through the barrier.

Skidding to a stop on the other side, he caught sight of Aloysius just loading their luggage onto one of the front carriages and headed towards him, eyes sweeping the long lines of the old steam train.  
'Rufus, incoming owl.' Severus warned, spotting the swooping snowy owl.  
'That'll be our next set of instructions.' Rufus nodded, catching the letter and neatly wrapped package before approaching the train. Tucking the letter into his pocket, he handed Severus the package to hold as he walked.  
'I've got our gear stashed away safely and found our seats. Up you come Severus, you're almost home.' Aloysius grinned, reaching out and taking Severus' hands as Rufus set him on his feet inside the carriage.  
'We got another update too.' Rufus sighed, handing over the letter and taking the package so Severus had both hands free to support his weight against the narrow walls.

Finding their reserved cabin, Severus sunk gratefully down onto one couch and reclaimed the bundle sent via owl, his name clear to see on the parchment.  
'What does our employer want this time?' Rufus sighed, settling beside the window.  
'Well done on making it to the train on time, I feared you would not be able to pass through the barrier. The train will take you as far as possible before arriving at a lovely station where everyone will disembark. From there you will take a carriage to your final destination. Someone will meet you at the front door and personally escort you to my office. I also asked Merlin to deliver another special item, hopefully it will stir up more of his memories once he sees it and reads what is contained inside. I look forward to seeing you all upon your safe arrival.' Aloysius read, offering Severus an encouraging smile as he folded up the letter and tucked it away safely.

Tearing the wrapping away, Severus uncovered a leather bound book, the dark green leather worn and lovingly repaired and the corners protected by intricate silver details. Opening the cover, Severus' dark gaze drifted over the neat, closely packed script across the first page, recognising some of the things written there but a lot didn't mean anything yet.  
'private property of Professor Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master.' he uttered, closing his eyes as memories came flashing back into his mind, the fog parting a little bit more.  
'Severus, you okay?' Rufus asked, worried for the older man as he sat there.  
'Yes Rufus, I'm okay. Memories are clearing, things are slowly coming back. I knew I was important somehow but I couldn't remember why or how. I know where we're going, beyond the station. I remember where I felt safest, the only true home I have. Hogwarts it's still fuzzy though. I know the name but the pictures won't clear up.' Severus nodded, frustration showing through again as he flicked through the book in the hope of finding more information.  
'Stay calm, everything happens in time. Read on, there might be something more in there.' Aloysius soothed, reaching out and squeezing one wrist lightly.  
'It's just so frustrating. Why are my memories coming back so fragmented? Why can't I remember things properly? What am I doing wrong?' Severus uttered, putting the book aside and hanging his head.  
'Come on, don't get discouraged. Getting upset isn't going to help, you have to keep trying. No matter how hard it gets, you have to pick yourself up and keep going. Just look at how far you've already come. When we first met, you couldn't even tell us your name and now you know who you are and where you belong.' Rufus coaxed, taking a knee beside Severus and brushing the shorter strands of hair out of his eyes.  
'May I?' Aloysius asked, indicating the book. Lifting his gaze a little, Severus nodded and went back to sulking quietly, despite Rufus' best efforts to get him to cheer up.  
'What are you thinking Aloysius?' Rufus uttered, turning to his old friend.  
'This will do nicely. Severus, listen to me and answer these simple questions.' Aloysius directed, finding a page headed 'simple questions for new students' and reading over it quickly.  
'It's not going to work but I'll try.' Severus sighed, lifting his head and turning to regard Aloysius through a silky black curtain.  
'What would you get if you added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' Aloysius asked, hoping he hadn't mangled the unfamiliar words too much.  
'Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death.' Severus recited, head snapping up as the words flowed from his mouth. 'Did I get that right?'  
'Word for word Severus, that's exactly what you've written here.' Aloysius grinned, scanning the page again. 'Okay, try this one. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?'  
'A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons.' Severus replied, tucking his hair back behind his ear quickly.  
'Well done, you nailed it again without a single word changed from what's written here.' Aloysius praised, putting the book down to clap his hands. 'One last try. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?'  
'Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite.'  
'Well look at that, word perfect again. There's nothing wrong with your memories Severus, you just nailed those questions without hesitation or a single word wrong.' Aloysius cheered, handing him back the book and settling back against the padded bench. 'Not that I had any bloody clue what you were going on about.' he added, shaking his head slowly.  
'Don't give up Severus, you can do this. We'll be right here to coax you along but you've got to keep putting in the effort.' Rufus praised, pressing the well loved book into his hands before getting comfortable on the floor so he didn't have to stray too far.  
'Thank you Rufus, you as well Aloysius. I don't know what I'd have done without your help.' Severus nodded, opening his book and starting to read. 'Feel free to call me Sev, I miss the familiar comfort of such things.' he added, not looking up from the neat words.  
'Okay Sev, whatever makes you feel comfortable.' Aloysius agreed, watching the world pass by outside the train.

Book resting lightly on his chest, Severus dozed peacefully as the train pulled up at the station. He'd fallen asleep quite some time ago, not long after the trolley lady had come by and asked if they wanted anything. Severus had just grinned and flicked them both a sickle and nodded his consent. Those two small coins had been enough to get quite a few treats and they now had change jingling in their pockets. Gathering up the last of the treats, Aloysius opened the trunk and set them inside safely for later as Rufus stood and closed the book, tucking it between two more cloaks before gathering Severus into his arms. Closing the trunk, Aloysius proved his strength all over again as he picked the full sized trunk up and followed Rufus down the narrow passage.

Careful not to go belting Severus into anything, Rufus stepped down off the train and looked across the horse drawn carriages lined up nearby. Picking one at random, he walked over and carefully lifted Severus into the seat, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. Groaning softly, Severus stirred from his slumber and blinked stupidly for a few moments before sitting up and watching as Aloysius and Rufus lifted the trunk up into place.  
'How long was I out for?' he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 'Where's my book?'  
'You were down for a few hours I think, my watch has stopped.' Rufus replied, opening the trunk and grabbing the book out again. 'I've got your book right here, don't panic.' he added, handing the book back before climbing into the carriage.  
'You crashed not long after the trolley lady came by and you gave us those couple of silver coins.' Aloysius added, joining them in the carriage and drawing his cloak around his legs.  
'Hope you don't mind but we stashed our remaining treats in the trunk.' Rufus grinned, dropping his gaze for a moment.  
'It's fine, there wasn't much in there anyway.' Severus shrugged, cradling his book close as he relaxed back against the padded cushions, right leg resting out along the bench seat.  
'How's the head?' Aloysius asked, still worried about Severus' state of mind as the carriage pulled out.  
'Still fuzzy but at least it's not pounding like it was earlier.' Severus uttered, rubbing his temples lightly.  
'When are you going to learn to just ask?' Rufus sighed, easing to his knees and reaching up to work his magic again.  
'Old habits die hard.' Severus offered, relaxing into the touch.

Rufus kept up the gentle touch until Severus dropped back to sleep, book held possessively to his chest as he started snoring softly. Content that he'd done enough, Rufus returned to his seat and glanced at Aloysius proudly.  
'You know, I'm almost dreading this one coming to an end. It's been so long since I've felt this relaxed and comfortable on a job.' Aloysius remarked, cleaning his glasses quickly.  
'Not to mention been this well fed. It's going to be a real shame to say goodbye, I really like Sev but when we walk away, I know we won't see him again. I'm going to really miss him Aloysius.' Rufus agreed, hanging his head sadly.  
'That's the way it goes buddy, we always knew that. But yeah, I found it impossible not to get attached to Sev. There's just something about him.' Aloysius sighed, gazing sadly out the window. 'I'll miss him too buddy. He's one of those special people who managed to crawl under my armour and find a place in my heart as a trusted friend.' he added, wiping away a stray tear.  
'Well that's nice to know. I'd miss you both as well.' Severus mumbled, dark eyes blinking open again.  
'I thought you were asleep.' Rufus sighed, unable to keep the grin off his face.  
'Close but I was more enjoying the comfort and relaxing.' Severus smirked, touched by the kind words offered but somewhat hurt that his friends hadn't felt comfortable saying it to his face.

Climbing down from the carriage, Rufus once again gathered Severus in his arms and was shocked as the older man trembled nervously and hid his face away.  
'Hey, what's wrong Sev?' he asked, settling on the ground and setting Severus in his lap.  
'I'm not ready for this, there's so much I can't remember yet. Faces of people I've known for years mean nothing, I can't place them anywhere. I'm so scared, I can't do this ' composure shattering, Severus forgot all about trying to be dignified and just wept, clinging desperately to one of the few identifiable friends he had.  
'Shhh, it'll be okay Sev, no need to get upset. We're right here, you're safe with us. Remember what I said on the day you got your wand? You'll always have shelter right here. That'll never change, you're special to us Sev and we'll to all we can to keep you safe and smiling.' Rufus soothed, rocking slowly as he cradled the terrified man in his lap.  
'We truly care about you Sev, we just want to see you happy and safe. Don't cry Sev, we're still right here and we're not leaving any time soon, I can promise you that. Your memories will return, you just have to be patient and let them come. It's all going to be okay, you'll see.' Aloysius added, setting the trunk down and kneeling to wrap his arms around heaving shoulders.

Regaining control a few minutes later, Severus wiped his eyes and nodded, pulling back slowly. Reaching up, he released the leather thong holding his hair back and let the long black locks fall into position around his face, running his fingers through it to make sure he was happy with the look.  
'No offence but I want to do this on my own two feet. I just know I'm supposed to be dignified and I want to try and hang onto that.' he uttered, gaze drifting from Rufus to Aloysius and back.  
'Okay Sev, if that's what you feel most comfortable with. We'll be right here to catch you whenever you need us.' Rufus nodded, getting to his feet and gently setting Severus upright, one hand light on his back until he was stable.  
'Alright, here we go.' Severus nodded, drawing his cloak around his body as he lumbered towards the entrance, right leg turned out to the side as he limped badly. Picking up the trunk, Aloysius caught up and tried to relax, glancing up at Rufus nervously.

Catching sight of who was waiting at the entrance, Severus froze and blanched, nervous about getting any closer until he felt Rufus' hand on his shoulder again.  
'It's okay Sev, we're right here. Whenever you get nervy, just come in close and we'll protect you. Nothing will ever change that fact, we will always be your safe place when things get dangerous.' Rufus grinned, squeezing one shoulder lightly as he spoke.  
'Rufus is right Sev, nothing is going to tear us away. Even if we do get sent away, we'll never be far. If you want to see us, we'll be waiting near the Leaky Cauldron.' Aloysius agreed, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.  
'Thanks you two, here's hoping it doesn't come to that. I don't want to lose you, you've become my closest friends.' Severus sighed, leaning on Rufus for a few moments before resuming his walk.

Then came his next challenge, in the form of the stairs leading up to the entrance where the others were waiting. Pausing at the bottom, he took a few calming breaths before starting up the stairs. He didn't get far up before he caught his right foot and tripped, landing heavily on the stairs. The trio at the top of the stairs gasped and hurried down to him as Rufus took a knee and gently picked him up, letting the weary man rest back against his chest. Setting the trunk down, Aloysius crouched and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, using it to dab at the fresh blood trickling from his nose.  
'Severus, are you okay?' a short, dumpy little witch asked as she knelt beside Aloysius.  
'I think so.' Severus uttered, lifting his gaze slowly.  
'We have all been so worried about you Severus.' a taller witch added, pulling out a tartan handkerchief and wrapping it around his bleeding hand.  
'I'm trying, I really am but it's just not coming back.' Severus sighed, looking around the group slowly.  
'Memory still playing up Severus?' a short wizard with slicked back hair asked, bringing out his wand and uttering a quick spell so the group were bathed in light.  
'I recognise you all, I know we were at least civil to each other but apart from that, nothing.' Severus confessed, voice dropping to a bare whisper as he lowered his gaze sadly.  
'It's okay Severus, these things happen. I think we've all been hit by wayward spells at one time or another.' the taller witch offered, patting his arm lightly. 'Minerva McGonagall.' she added as he looked up at her.  
'Head of Gryffindor house, Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor.' Severus listed, details coming back at the mention of her name in conjunction with a fresh look at her face.  
'That's right, you do remember who I am.' Minerva smiled, relaxing a little more now that she had some confirmation the memories were still in his mind somewhere.  
'Filius Flitwick.' the smallest member of the group nodded, drawing Severus' attention to his face.  
'Head of Ravenclaw and Charms Master.' Severus listed, practical details easy to recall, it was the personal things that gave him trouble.  
'Well done Severus, very well done indeed.' Flitwick praised, knowing they needed to rebuild his shattered confidence.  
'What about Pomona Sprout?' the dumpy witch asked, touching his knee lightly.  
'Head of Hufflepuff and Herbology Professor.' Severus grinned, glancing at Aloysius for support.  
'Excellent Severus, you know more than you think.' Pomona nodded, swapping relieved looks with Minerva and Filius.  
'Can you think of why we were sent to meet you tonight?' Minerva asked, trying not to let her concerns about Aloysius and Rufus influence her vocal tones.  
'Umm because I'm the Potions Professor and it's right there, I know it is.' Severus groaned, head slumping back onto Rufus' shoulder. Nodding slowly, Minerva hissed quietly and pointed to a green patch on her robes.  
'The hint is in the book you're still clutching. Remember the four houses, which one is missing?' Flitwick coaxed, hoping for a positive result from their hints.  
'Hissing silver green snakes. I am Professor Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin.' Severus blurted out, looking around the group for an answer.  
'Excellent work Severus, you remembered exactly where you belong.' Sprout praised, applauding his effort.  
'We're not done yet, are we?' Severus asked, looking to Aloysius again.  
'Not unless one of these three has been sending us the messages and your things.' Aloysius replied, refolding his handkerchief and reapplying pressure before guiding Severus' undamaged hand up to take the cloth.  
'No, you'll have to talk to the Headmaster about that. He sent us here to meet you but we had no idea about what he'd been doing.' McGonagall explained, still trying to adjust to the changes in Severus' behaviour.  
'You ready to keep going?' Rufus asked, checking that Severus' wand was still intact where it rested in his sleeve.  
'Would you mind ' Severus sighed, hoping Rufus understood.  
'Of course I don't mind. Hold on tight and up you come.' Rufus grinned, shifting around and hoisting Severus into his arms. 'There you go, safe and secure in the arms of a dear friend.' he added, mindful of fresh injuries as he headed up the stairs.  
'Would you like some help with that?' Flitwick asked, watching as Aloysius picked up the trunk and followed, feeling each step carefully as he went.  
'Did you get any chocolate frogs on the train?' Severus asked, lifting his head and looking back at Aloysius.  
'Yeah, we got some and there's still a few left.' Aloysius nodded, setting the trunk down and finding one of the shining blue boxes. 'I wouldn't say no to some assistance either, this is getting to be a little heavy.' he added, closing the trunk and walking up to hand Severus the little box. Opening the box, Severus grabbed the frog before it could take off and took a bite, relaxing a little more.  
'But of course.' Flitwick nodded, drawing his wand and giving it a flick as he said something that sounded Latin. As soon as he'd spoken, the trunk took to the air and floated gracefully a few feet off the ground. 'Just grab the handle and walk, you'll find there is no effort now.' he added, tucking his wand away.  
'Thanks Professor.' Aloysius grinned, fingers curling around the handle as he strode away again.

Following Minerva through the corridors, Rufus looked around at architecture and strange artefacts on the walls in confusion but he tried not to pry too much, just in case they were sent away again.  
'Ahh, ghost.' Aloysius jumped, eyes blowing wide as an elegantly dressed ghost floated through the wall right in front of him.  
'That's Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, the Gryffindor ghost. Nothing to worry about, he's really quite nice.' Flitwick explained, calming the shocked man easily.  
'And I thought I'd already seen the weirdest things this job could bring us.' Aloysius groaned, regaining his composure and continuing to walk. 'A little warning about things like that might have been nice.'  
'There are at least twenty ghosts living in Hogwarts, they're harmless, except for Peeves the poltergeist but he's more annoying than anything else.' Severus advised, tucking his hair back behind his ear.  
'Welcome back Severus, so good to see you again.' Sir Nicholas greeted, dipping his head.  
'It's good to be back Sir Nicholas.' Severus replied, comfortable with having a conversation with a ghost.  
'Shall I inform the others of your return?'  
'That would be most acceptable Sir Nicholas.' Severus nodded, settling back comfortably as Sir Nicholas nodded and swept away through the far wall.

Approaching a large stone bird in an alcove, Minerva turned to the trio and smiled faintly.  
'This is where we leave you for your meeting with the Headmaster. Gather in under the wings, I'll give you the password to get up to his office.' she directed, moving aside as Rufus entered and stepped under the left wing, Severus curled up a little more in his arms.  
'You'd best be ready to catch that trunk, I've got other work to attend to and can't keep up the spell.' Flitwick added, drawing his wand as Aloysius switched his grip. A flick of the wand and he felt the full weight again.  
'Thank you, you've been very helpful.' he grinned, moving into the alcove and getting ready for whatever was about to happen.  
'Lemon drops.' Minerva announced before leaving.  
'Oh god, what now?' Rufus yelped as the bird stretching above them started to move and turn.  
'We're going up to the Headmaster's office, this won't take long. Just stand on a step and wait.' Severus briefed, grip tightening fractionally as Rufus and Aloysius moved to stand on two of the stone stairs moving upwards.

Finally the bird stopped moving and the group left the stairs, approaching a heavy wooden door. Reaching out, Severus knocked once before the door swung open to reveal the office behind.  
'Welcome, do come inside. Just leave your trunk by the door, it will be quite safe.' an elderly wizard called, conjuring up three soft chairs in front of his desk.  
'Headmaster nope, it's not there.' Severus sighed, dropping his gaze.  
'Never mind Severus, it's quite alright. Come and take a seat gentlemen, there is much to discuss.' he soothed, eyes sparkling behind his half moon glasses.  
'No matter what Sev, we'll still be right here. If the worst happens and we have to leave, you'll wait for you in London.' Rufus whispered, coming up the stairs and gently putting Severus down in the middle before settling on his right.  
'Nothing can break a friendship like ours, it's destined to last.' Aloysius added, taking the final chair and trying to relax.

Looking the trio over carefully, the Headmaster smiled softly and nodded, glad to finally have Severus back in Hogwarts.  
'First of all, congratulations on bringing Severus home safely, we have all been worried for his safety since he left so abruptly. It was incredibly difficult to find a replacement teacher with skills anywhere near what Professor Snape possesses. Now that he is back where he belongs, I do not believe it will take long for his memories to come flooding back to him. However, you two pose a new problem. Muggles have never been permitted to see anything beyond Diagon Alley and certainly not the secret entrance to Platform 9 3/4. But you have gone much further, to the point of Hogwarts and so we have a dilemma. You cannot go back to London and return to your muggle lives and you cannot stay here without upsetting the students. I hate to say this but there is only one thing we can do with you. You will have to spend the rest of your lives at Azkaban.'  
'No! You can't send them to Azkaban, they'll never survive that place. They have committed no serious crimes, they don't deserve such a punishment.' Severus cried, unable to believe what he was hearing.  
'What's he talking about Sev? What's Azkaban?' Rufus asked, trying his best to calm the distraught man before things got out of hand.  
'It's a prison, one of the worst places in the world. People sent there lose their happy memories and eventually their will to live.' Severus explained, catching one large hand and holding tight.  
'What? You rotten bastard! We go out and find this missing friend of yours and this is how you repay our efforts. We should never have taken on this job!' Aloysius snapped, getting to his feet and moving to attack to older man.  
'Aloysius! Don't even try it! Come back here, assaulting the Headmaster isn't going to prove you are good men.' Severus called, relaxing a little more now that he was safe in Rufus' arms again. Snarling low in his throat, Aloysius turned and walked back to Severus' side, sinking to one knee beside him.  
'I can't believe this, we've done everything right. Why are we being punished like this?' Rufus uttered, shuffling around a little and wrapping his left arm around Aloysius' shoulders.  
'I won't let them send you to that horrid place, I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe. You've shown such kindness to me, unlike so many others. It's going to be okay, I won't let anyone take you away.' Severus soothed, glaring at the old Headmaster. 'you seem so eager to keep me here but if you even think about sending these two to Azkaban, I'm gone and you won't find me again.' he growled, determined to keep his friends safe no matter what.  
'What would you have me do Severus?'  
'Tell the school that they are my apprentices. After all, ingredient preparation can be done by anyone, magic is only needed when preparing a potion. Minerva, Pomona and Filius can all attest to how much I need the help these two so freely give when I'm having trouble. Without their assistance, I struggle to manage even the simplest of tasks, like stairs.' Severus suggested, a new spark coming to his eyes.  
'Just be careful Sev, try not to hurt yourself too badly.' Rufus nodded, easing Severus to his feet and supporting him as he stood before the desk, leaning severely to the left.  
'Dumbledore needs to see how much I need you two around to help with daily life.' Severus sighed, heading for the stairs.

He made it about half way down the short flight of stairs before it got to be too much for him to handle and he went down, tumbling the rest of the way. Bolting from his seat, Rufus shot down the stairs and caught him before he could collide with anything in the room.  
'So going down stairs is a problem too, handy to know.' Severus groaned, flicking his hair back out of his eyes and allowing Rufus to help him back to his feet.  
'Never mind Sev. Wipe your nose, you've started it bleeding again.' Aloysius soothed, watching as Severus pulled out the bloodied blue handkerchief and pressed it to his nose again.  
'Nice and slow, I won't let you fall this time.' Rufus coaxed, right hand getting a firm grip on the back of Severus' cloak as he made his way slowly back up the stairs. Wobbling dangerously again, Severus braced for another painful impact but instead he was pulled up and rebalanced by a surprisingly gentle pull on his cloak.  
'Now we're getting somewhere. It took a while but at least we've worked out how to prevent embarrassing falls like that.' Aloysius grinned, pride filling his chest as Severus and Rufus made it up the stairs without another mishap.  
'Now do you understand Dumbledore? Without these two around, I couldn't handle classes or even the simple task of walking up and down the many staircases around Hogwarts. Don't send them away, I need them around.' Severus uttered, sinking down into the middle seat again, careful of his damaged hip.  
'Very well Severus, these two can stay but you will be responsible for keeping them out of danger and trouble. The mere whisper of muggles in the school will cause panic and possibly even worse. I will make the announcement at the welcoming feast that they are your new assistants and as such are to be treated with respect. Speaking of which, they will be waiting for us.' Dumbledore nodded, getting to his feet.  
'Headmaster, will you be joining us in the great hall?' Minerva's face appeared in the fireplace, surrounded by green flames.  
'We were just speaking of the welcoming feast. We will be there shortly and will require two new places to be set at the head table. Severus and his new assistants will be joining us.' Dumbledore nodded, approaching the fire.  
'I never liked travelling by floo, can't remember why though.' Severus muttered, tucking his book safely inside his cloak.  
'Might be best if you didn't keep mentioning you can't remember things.' Aloysius advised, glancing back towards the trunk by the door.  
'Do not worry about your belongings. I'll ask one of the house-elves to take it to Severus' quarters. Through you go, Minerva is organising two extra seats at the table for you both, one each side of Severus as is correct.' Dumbledore instructed, indicating the fireplace and nodding.  
'Well, here goes nothing.' Severus sighed, glancing up at Rufus before stepping into the fire.

Popping out the other side, Rufus caught his own stumble and still kept Severus upright before heading towards the top table where Minerva was just finishing her work.  
'Whoa, oof.' Aloysius grunted, landing heavily on his hands and knees as he came out of the fireplace.  
'You okay Aloysius?' Severus asked, glancing back at him.  
'Yeah, but I can understand why you don't enjoy doing that.' Aloysius nodded, getting to his feet and brushing off his robes.  
'Come on, everyone is staring at us.' Rufus sighed, supporting Severus lightly as they headed for their places.  
'Severus, just come here for a moment.' a kindly witch called, beckoning him towards her. 'I just want to get you cleaned up a little bit, you look a fright.' she added, getting to her feet and drawing her wand.  
'Madam Pomfrey, how good to see you again.' Severus grinned, hers a face and name he'd never forget.  
'That's right Severus, good to see not all of your memories were fragmented.' she nodded, checking his face quickly before raising her wand. 'Episkey tergeo.' she intoned, wand tip flaring briefly as the spells went to work. First came a blast of heat then frigid cold as the healing spell set his nose again and finally the blood was cleared away, leaving him looking no worse for wear.  
'Did that work on your other fresh injuries as well?' Rufus uttered, indicating the stained handkerchief tied around his palm.  
'Only one way to know for sure.' Severus replied, releasing the knot and drawing the cloth away. 'Can't get much better than that.' he grinned, turning his hand over to reveal perfect flesh where once had been a particularly deep graze.  
'Now that is cool.' Aloysius whispered, amazed by some of the things they were seeing.  
'Many thanks Poppy. Come along you two, we're holding up the feast.' Severus grinned, continuing his walk.

Whispers surrounded them as they walked, students passing along stories of the Professor Snape they remembered and quietly declaring that Severus wasn't the same man. Straightening up, Severus turned his gaze towards the whispering students and glared, silencing the whispers easily.  
'I knew it, I just knew you were still the same man inside.' Flitwick uttered, bringing his chair over a little more as the black clad trio took their seats at the staff table.  
'All in due time Filius, it's slowly coming back to me with every familiar face or object I see.' Severus remarked, gazing out over the students and adjusting the way he was sitting so he was comfortable.

With the feast over, Severus stood and paused, trying to pull memories back together so he could find his way back to his suite. Sighing softly, he sunk back into his seat and turned his full attention to the problem but all he could drag up were small fragments of memories that meant nothing much at all.  
'Need some help Severus?' another witch asked, short grey hair sticking up in every direction.  
'Madam Hooch. I am having some trouble, I've got fragments but no clue how to get where I want to go.' Severus nodded, the name popping straight into his mind without too much effort at all.  
'Rolanda Hooch, well done. Where are you trying to go?' she nodded, wondering how long it would take to get the old Severus Snape back with them.  
'As embarrassing as this is, I can't remember how to get back to my suite. I know I've got a room somewhere, I keep seeing flashes of it but I can't remember how to get there.' Severus flushed red, dropping his gaze to the empty plate in front of him.  
'I can show you the way. It's a bit of a walk but I'm sure you can manage.' Madam Hooch grinned, stepping down from the raised platform and waiting by the side door for Severus and his assistants.  
'With these two around, I'll be fine. Lead on Rolanda, there's still a lot of memories to pull back together.' Severus nodded, hobbling after her, his companions sticking in close.

Glancing over her shoulder, Madam Hooch sighed softly and continued to walk slowly, knowing Severus couldn't manage anything faster than the lumbering gait he was currently using.  
'Any chance we'll see you back on a broomstick anytime soon Severus?' she asked, leading them down a spiral staircase.  
'I don't think so Rolanda, not for a while yet. Walking is enough of a challenge, flight can wait for a while.' Severus replied, more memories unlocking as he walked familiar corridors.  
'Nick was right, Severus is back.'  
'Okay, talking paintings. Just another new experience no one told us about.' Rufus muttered, refusing to jump at anything else going on around them.  
'That's right, I'm back where I belong. Let me tell you, the muggle world is no place for anyone, they're so brutal.' Severus grinned, catching his toe on a loose stone and almost falling but once again Rufus was there to catch him.  
'Not all muggles are bad, remember those couple of guys that saved your life and escorted you to the Leaky Cauldron?' Aloysius commented, falling easily into his role and starting to let go of his old life.  
'True, they weren't so bad. I'm just grateful you two were there outside the inn when we ran out of places to hide from that mob.' Severus agreed, finding it incredibly easy to keep the deception going.  
'Rescued by muggles, however did your pride cope?' Rolanda asked, actually starting to like this new Severus.  
'After everything I've been through, pride is easily forgotten along with dignity. I did a lot of things I'm not particularly proud of but I'm still alive and that's what really counts.' Severus shrugged, shuddering at memories of his time lost in London with no idea how to get home or even who he was.  
'Almost there now Severus. I can't help you get into your suite though, I don't know the password.' Rolanda nodded, entering the last corridor and turning to them. 'This is where I leave you. The door to your suite is there at the end of the corridor. Speak with the paintings here, perhaps they can be of some assistance with gaining access. Good night gentlemen, I'll see you in the great hall tomorrow for breakfast.' she added, dipping her head respectfully before leaving them in the corridor.

Making their way down the short corridor, Severus scanned the paintings on the wall for any clues but most of the occupants were asleep. But right near the heavy wooden door, a familiar face was wide awake and apparently rather eager to see Severus again.  
'Severus, how wonderful to see you again. I was starting to think you weren't coming back.' he called, rising from his chair.  
'Salazar, it really has been too long. But then, four days ago I couldn't even remember my own name.' Severus sighed, the relaxed conversation bringing back new memories.  
'Oh dear, I did not realise how bad that misfired spell was. How's the memory now that you're safely back where you belong?' Salazar nodded, concerned for the Potions Master and the knowledge in his head.  
'Still fragmented but some of it is coming back. I may have to swallow what pride I've got left and ask Dumbledore for a map until more memories come back clearly.' Severus shrugged, glancing up at his companions. 'Forgive my manners, these are my new assistants, Aloysius and Rufus.' he added, indicating each man in turn.  
'A pleasure, I'm sure. Any true friend of Severus' is a friend of mine. I noticed Rolanda guided you down here. Would I be right in thinking you've forgotten your password as well?' Salazar offered, raising one hand in greeting.  
'Many thanks Salazar.' Aloysius replied, dipping his head.  
'You would be correct Salazar, it's gone completely from my mind. I've been trying to remember important things like that but nothing so far.' Severus confessed, wobbling for a moment but Rufus hadn't moved an inch and caught him smoothly before shifting his hand from Sev's collar to the middle of his back and grabbing another handful of cloth.  
'The password is dunderberry.' Salazar winked and returned to his chair, understanding that Severus needed time to readjust and regain his memories.  
'Dunderberry.' Severus repeated, shoulders drooping tiredly as the heavy wooden door swung open.

Entering the dungeon suite, Severus sighed and looked around at the walls, pausing to look at each of the simple decorations hanging there to see what memories were stirred up.  
'Not what I was expecting but I could get used to living down here.' Rufus remarked, guiding Severus to the couch and sitting him down before heading to explore the suite with Aloysius.  
'It's certainly homey, for a dungeon.' Aloysius agreed, finding his room and looking at the neat bundles at the foot of his large bed. 'They even unpacked our gear, how cool is that.'  
'Feels like real fur on the beds too. I'm really looking forward to curling up in here tonight.' Rufus chuckled, opening the wardrobe and hanging up his new clothes before tucking his old muggle clothes in the chest of drawers. The tattered clothes formed a nice nest in the top drawer, buttons and buckles tucked underneath for safety before he placed his sidearm, knife and spare clips inside and closed the drawer. In the second drawer, he placed his half of the remaining treats from the trunk, sorting them out quickly so he could always find a particular treat.

Their unpacking finished, Aloysius and Rufus returned to the lounge room, only to find Severus hunched over on the couch sobbing pitifully. Swapping a worried look, the pair raced to his side and sandwiched the sobbing man between them firmly.  
'Hey now, what's got you so down? I thought you'd be happy to be home at long last.' Aloysius asked, turning slightly and reaching up to stroke Severus' dark hair lightly.  
'I'm sick of this this isn't who I am I'm a feared Potions Master not some bumbling idiot.' Severus choked, sinking into the gentle arms wrapped around him from both sides.  
'You're not a bumbling idiot, you're just having a rough time. Look at how much has already come back in a few short days.' Rufus grinned, gently tugging Severus' hands away from his face.  
'You'll get back to being that feared Potions Master, I just know you will. Memory loss is no picnic, I've been where you are. Admittedly, I still haven't gotten all my memories back, even nine years after the accident. But to be honest, I'm a better man without those dark memories clouding my mind. I know what has been lost but those dark times can't cause any more pain because I can't remember why it hurt or what I lost.' Aloysius offered, hoping Severus could see what he was trying to say.  
'Perhaps you're right Aloysius.' Severus nodded, leaning against him heavily until the tears finally stopped falling.  
'Why don't you go curl up in bed? Maybe that will help you feel better.' Rufus suggested, straightening and offering out his hand.  
'Well, I am rather tired. Maybe rest will bring clarity.' Severus sighed, quickly covering a yawn before allowing his friends to scoop him up and carry him to the bedroom.

Setting him on the edge of the bed, Rufus and Aloysius backed off a few steps and turned their backs as the older man undressed and wriggled under the covers, clothes folded neatly on the corner of his bed.  
'Oohh, it's so warm under here.' he groaned, snuggling down and getting comfortable quickly.  
'Get some rest Sev, we'll see you in the morning. After you've had a hot shower and a good breakfast, you'll feel better.' Rufus grinned, squeezing one shoulder lightly.  
'Sleep well Sev, things will look better tomorrow. If you need us, we're never far away.' Aloysius added, brushing the hair out of his eyes before following Rufus from the room.  
'Night guys and thank you for everything.' Severus called after them before pulling the blankets right up and closing his eyes with a whispered nox to put out the candle beside the bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
REDISCOVERING POTENTIAL *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

The memory return had been brutal at times, with harsh words being thrown about and frayed tempers but things had eventually settled down again and their friendship remained strong despite it all. Severus had been rather ashamed of the way he'd acted during the recovery period but Aloysius and Rufus had easily forgiven him, getting on with their new lives and continuing to grow their amazing friendship beyond anything they had imagined it would turn out to be. No one questioned their living arrangements or the similarities that grew between them and added to their imposing appearance. Now free of their past lives, Aloysius and Rufus let go of the last ties back to those times, growing their hair out and hiding away the last connections to their old life with some help from Severus. Aloysius had even taken the extraordinary step of going to Poppy and asking if his tattoo could be removed. With a serene smile, Poppy had done as requested, leaving his forearm clear and erasing his last link to the past without realising. The only thing Aloysius kept were his amber-tinted glasses, his eye abnormality unrepairable even by the best medical professionals.

Even though the memories came back without problem, nothing could be done to undo the damage caused to Severus' hip. If he'd sought help immediately after the incident, chances were he'd be back to normal but now, after almost a year without treatment, the damage had become permanent. That had been a hard pill to swallow but Severus had accepted his new way of life and practised on stairs until he was able to handle them without tripping and falling so frequently. Short flights like the one in Dumbledore's office were no problem, longer flights still caught him out occasionally but Rufus and Aloysius had never failed to catch him when he stumbled.

What surprised everyone though was the unique teaching style the trio created and used to brilliant effect against the students. Severus stayed at his desk, doing what he'd always done. Aloysius and Rufus took up the other roles, stalking among the students and checking things were going to plan. The story about Severus taking on assistants was well accepted and the similar wardrobes helped to perpetuate the story while also adding to the fear factor in the classroom environment. From the back, when both men were stationary, it was almost impossible to tell Aloysius from Severus, a helpful little trick that drew undesirable attention away from Severus when he wasn't feeling up to dealing with students.

Pacing around the potions classroom, Rufus and Aloysius kept a sharp eye on the students and barked at them when they saw a mistake in the potions they were busily making. Severus sat tall behind his desk, dark eyes full of menace that kept the first year students in line without a word being spoken.  
'Aloysius, get back!' Severus barked, getting to his feet. Reacting instinctively, Aloysius grabbed S amus and Neville by their collars and yanked them back with him seconds before their cauldron exploded with a brilliant purple flash.  
'Everyone else okay?' Rufus called, moving through the classroom and checking on the rest of the students.  
'Okay, which of you dunderheads caused that one?' Aloysius asked, getting to his feet and glaring down at the two boys in front of him.  
'It's a pointless exercise trying to work out which one did it Aloysius. Mr Longbottom is notorious for fouling up his potions and Mr Finnigan quite enjoys blowing cauldrons up.' Severus sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'Five points each will be deducted from Gryffindor.' Rufus called, knowing full well he was allowed to deduct points so long as Severus quietly agreed with his statement.  
'I see someone else got caught in the blast as well.' Aloysius sighed, spotting a rather singed Draco Malfoy glaring daggers at the pair. 'Glaring will not be of any help Mr Malfoy, I suggest you get back to your brewing.' Rufus growled, quite enjoying the change of pace from their previous life of constant danger.  
'Miss Granger, you will now work with Mr Longbottom. Mr Finnegan, you'll now be partnered with Miss Turner.' Severus snapped, watching as the named students shuffled around and reorganised their things.

Turning back to Severus, Rufus dropped him a wink and continued to move through the classroom, pausing to check on Aloysius and brush some bright purple powder from his back.  
'And here I thought we were beyond the getting blown to hell stage.' Aloysius muttered, shaking purple dust from his hair and going back to his rounds.  
'I don't think we'll ever be beyond that stage.' Rufus commented, tucking his hair back behind his ear and walking away.  
'Not while you're around here, that's for sure.' Severus agreed, remembering previous mishaps with other classes.  
'At least we're keeping our feet firmly on the ground.' Aloysius nodded, registering eyes on his back. 'Mr Malfoy, eyes on your work!' he snapped, shocking the arrogant blonde.  
'How does he do that?' Ron uttered, glancing at Harry quickly.  
'Practise and instincts Mr Weasley.' Rufus replied, not moving from where he was checking something on Severus' desk. 'Something you'll never truly grasp.'  
'Well said Rufus.' Aloysius nodded, going back over the details of the potion they were working on to make sure the students had it right and were on track to avoid any more explosions.

Finally the class came to an end and the students placed their vials of potion on the desk as they left the room, not one of them game enough to look at the trio gathered behind the desk. Hands folded together and chin resting on top, Severus scanned the vials on his desk and frowned spotting only two that were remotely close to what the simple potion was supposed to resemble. Waiting until the last student was gone; Severus slumped and whisked the potions away to the smaller desk in the corner until he felt ready to deal with them.  
'Some days ' he sighed, rubbing gritty eyes.  
'Don't let them get to you Severus.' Rufus grinned, stroking his hair lightly.  
'They're just kids, no point stressing over them.' Aloysius added, perching on the corner of the desk and crossing his ankles.  
'I can't help it. You two have become my closest friends; we share so many things and can still laugh at the stupid things. I worry though, for the damage these little cretins could do to you with one of their badly made potions.' Severus sighed, trying to put on a brave face but today's close call only reinforced the danger in his mind.  
'Hey, we survived years of constant danger. A few kids with exploding potions can't do us that much damage after all we've already been through. We've got our share of scars, some of them worse than others but we're tougher than you might think.' Aloysius shrugged, rolling up his right sleeve to reveal a thick scar curling around his forearm.

Startled by a knock at the door, Aloysius rolled his sleeve down and buttoned it up as Rufus quickly dropped his hand.  
'Enter.' Severus called, running one hand through his hair.  
'Dumbledore wants to see you three in his office immediately.' Minerva nodded, standing tall in the doorway.  
'Wonder what we supposedly did wrong this time?' Rufus breathed, flicking his cloak back out of the way as Severus stood.  
'You did nothing wrong Rufus. In fact, we have just learned something very important about you two.' Minerva replied, astounding Rufus for a few moments before he shrugged it off.  
'We'll be right there Minerva.' Severus nodded, getting to his feet and heading for the door.  
'Very well, I think you will like this news.' Minerva nodded, turning and walking away quickly.

Gathered in Dumbledore's office, Rufus and Aloysius were clearly very nervous as they waited to see what was going on with this new discovery. Settled between them, Severus reached out and placed calming hands on their arms, reassuring the nervous pair with a tender smile and a gentle squeeze.  
'Good, you're all here. I asked Professor McGonagall to go through the admissions book, following up on a hunch of mine. I believe we have discovered something very exciting about you two. Just to be certain though, I need to know your full names and date of birth.' Dumbledore nodded, emerging from the room behind his desk and taking a seat.  
'Aloysius Karl Knight, born July 15 1979.'  
'Rufus Michael Jacobson, born December 2 1976.'  
'How is this going to prove anything?' Severus asked, one eyebrow arching up as he spoke.  
'Take a look Severus and perhaps you will understand.' Dumbledore replied, floating a large book over to Severus. 'Just look at the marked pages, scroll through the names and see what you find.'

Flipping to the first marked page, Severus scanned the list of names until he got about two thirds down the page and stopped, eyes blowing wide.  
'Rufus Michael Jacobson, born in Austin Texas. Parents Julie and Tobias Jacobson, both muggles. Response, application denied.' he read, openly staring at Rufus now.  
'I've got magic in my blood?' Rufus uttered, staring at Dumbledore in disbelief.  
'Check the other page Severus.' Dumbledore insisted, glancing over as Fawkes burst into flames and the ashes fell into the tray.  
'Aloysius Karl Knight, born in Sacramento California. Parents Matthew and Amy Knight, both muggles. Response, application denied.' closing the book and sending it back to Dumbledore, Severus couldn't believe what he'd just learned.  
'Me too? I could have come here as a child?' Aloysius managed, staring at Dumbledore as he tried to pick his jaw up off the floor.  
'I knew there was something special about you two, I just knew it.' Severus grinned, leaning back in his chair and smiling warmly at the pair when they turned their disbelieving eyes to him.  
'This leaves us in a bit of a situation once again. Normally at your respective ages, witches and wizards have long since completed school and have moved on to bigger and better things. Some find work at the Ministry of Magic, others open stores of varying purposes while still more come back and teach, like Severus did. The problem is classes though. I cannot see you being willingly accepted into the first year classes, the younger students would not welcome you.' Dumbledore sighed, looking at the shocked pair and smiling softly.  
'There is also a problem with supplies.' Aloysius added, lowering his gaze slowly.  
'That doesn't even count as a problem Aloysius. You're my responsibility, I'll pay for everything.' Severus replied, patting him on the shoulder lightly.  
'Sev, we can't ask you to do that. You've already done so much for us, this isn't necessary.' Rufus tried, touched by the offer but knowing he had to offer up a token refusal.  
'Actually Rufus, this is a fairly common occurrence. When students can't afford to purchase the necessary supplies for a year, one of the staff members steps up to cover the costs.' Dumbledore corrected, nodding slowly at Severus' offer of support.  
'You took care of me when I needed help and a comforting hand. Now it's my turn to take care of you both of you.' Severus added, already planning what would work best.  
'I will organise someone to cover your classes if you want to head straight for Diagon Alley.' Dumbledore offered, getting to his feet.  
'Most agreeable but I need to retrieve something from my suite before we leave.' Severus replied, easing up and heading for the stairs.  
'Professor McGonagall was right, I do like this news.' Aloysius chuckled, following Severus towards the door with Rufus bringing up the rear.

Making his way down the short flight of stairs, Severus was so focused on the task that he didn't realise his wand had slipped from his sleeve. Caught up in his thoughts, Aloysius missed the light sound of timber hitting stone and continued to walk until he heard something snap under his foot.  
'What was that?' Rufus asked, snapping out of his thoughts quickly.  
'Oh crap.' Aloysius groaned, looking down and realising what he'd just done. 'Um, Sev, you might want to check your sleeve.' he added, moving his foot and picking up the two pieces on the stairs.  
'My wand is gone.' Severus jumped, patting his sleeve again.  
'Yeah, uh, sorry about that.' Aloysius uttered, ducking his head as he handed over the pieces.  
'Ollivander is going to seriously pissed when he sees this.' Severus groaned, tucking the pieces in his pocket. 'Never mind Aloysius, that'll teach me to keep it up my sleeve without using the retaining strap.'  
'Would it be faster if you stayed and someone else went to fetch whatever it is you need from your suite?' Dumbledore asked, walking down to the trio.  
'Aloysius, you've got the speed. Go to my private study, middle drawer in the desk. You'll know what I want the moment you look inside.' Severus directed, heading back to the couch.  
'Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea what you want. Back soon, start the clock.' Aloysius nodded, charging for the door. Focusing for a moment, Severus set up a golden timer above him, Aloysius' best time written below the clock.

Sipping tea and swapping idle conversation, they kept half an eye on the timer as they relaxed and waited for Aloysius to make it back from the dungeons. Out of breath and sweating a bit, Aloysius came skidding back through the door and looked up at the frozen timer, a smile blazing across his face.  
'Ha, knocked five seconds off my previous best.' he chuckled, walking up the stairs and handing Severus the small leather pouch.  
'Well done Aloysius, but it looks like you took a tumble.' Severus grinned, securing the pouch under his cloak and rising.  
'Yeah, slipped on a corner and skidded down the hall for a little while.' Aloysius shrugged, quickly tying his hair back and stretching out his legs before they started complaining.  
'Well then, shall we?' Rufus asked, finishing his tea and standing.  
'You'll need this as well. I made a few adjustments to suit the situation.' Dumbledore nodded, handing Rufus a sheet of parchment with their requirements written on it.  
'Alright, let's go.' Severus grinned, extinguishing the fire and stepping into the warm hearth. Pulling their robes close, Aloysius and Rufus slipped in beside him and nodded as Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it down. 'Diagon Alley!' he announced, breath catching as they were whisked away.

Popping out in Diagon Alley, Rufus automatically grabbed for Severus and steadied him before catching Aloysius as well. Straightening his cloak, Severus motioned for them to follow and headed down the street.  
'Might as well get Ollivander's over and done with first. One of the best wandmakers in the world but he tends to get annoyed when certain wizards and witches keep damaging their wands. This will be my third no fourth wand.' Severus sighed, ignoring the way people were staring at him as he walked.  
'Cor Sev, how'd you manage to break the other two?' Rufus asked, still amazed by this bustling place.  
'A fellow student snapped my first one in spite and the second wound up a tasty meal for some magical creatures during a Care of Magical Creatures class.' Severus shrugged, slightly amazed he'd managed to pull up such old memories without any effort.  
'Okay, that's helpful to know. Keep wands away from magical creatures.' Aloysius grinned, relaxed and confident as they entered the store and looked around at the shelves full of boxes.

Emerging from between two shelving units, Mr Ollivander looked the trio over and nodded as he approached.  
'Don't tell me you need another one Severus. Twelve inches, ebony and dragon heartstring.' he sighed, turning and heading back along the shelves, searching for just the right box.  
'Well, yeah I do need another. My fault, I forgot to check the retaining strap was correctly positioned. That's not the only reason we're here though, these two need wands of their own. It has only just been realised that they have magic in their blood. Their parents turned down the chance to send their sons to Hogwarts as children.' Severus nodded, laying his broken wand on the bench.  
'Try and be more careful this time Severus.' Ollivander replied, retrieving a box and handing Severus a new wand. Taking it lightly, Severus gave it a flick and grinned as he turned a rather plain looking vase into a dozy tabby cat and back.  
'I will Mr Ollivander, I'll take proper care of this one.' Severus promised, slipping the dark wood up his sleeve and making sure the wide strap around his forearm was properly secured over the wand.  
'Students at their age, now that's rather uncommon. Very well, this shouldn't take long.' Mr Ollivander nodded, motioning the pair forward. 'Who's going first?'  
'I will.' Aloysius volunteered, glancing back at Severus for a moment before relaxing as Ollivander circled him slowly.  
'Stay here you two, I'll be back shortly.' Severus directed, turning and leaving the shop.

Wandering down the street, Severus entered Quality Quidditch Supplies and scanned the store slowly before his gaze settled on exactly the item he wanted.  
'How can I help you today sir?' a young witch asked, walking over to his side.  
'I would like to purchase three Nimbus 2000.' Severus nodded, pushing aside his concerns and going with his gut like he'd taken to doing when it involved his friends.  
'Of course sir, I'll just go get them.' she replied, hiding her surprise at the purchase and walking away to get the requested items.  
'I've got a feeling you two are going to do well with these.' he muttered, smiling softly at the thought of his best friends flying high overhead and learning the true joy of the wizarding world.

Returning with the requested items, the shop assistant let Severus look them over before she wrapped them neatly and accepted payment for the new broomsticks. Gathering the three bundles in his hands, Severus thanked the young woman and headed back outside. Pushing off the wall, Aloysius and Rufus made their way through the crowd to his side, taking two of the bundles and heading for a bench to take a short break.  
'So what did you get in the way of wands?' Severus asked, double checking his wand was still secure in his sleeve.  
'You're not going to believe it. Between us we have something called a Supporting Defensive Trio.' Rufus shrugged, drawing his wand and holding it lightly in his hand. 'Twelve inches, ebony and phoenix feather.'  
'Apparently this is something quite rare, drawing from our incredible friendship and our personal desire to keep each other safe.' Aloysius added, revealing his new wand. 'Twelve inches, ebony and unicorn hair.'  
'I've heard of Supporting Defensive Trio's but never actually known anyone involved in one. The last one I heard about was broken nearly one hundred years ago. They are quite powerful because of the connections between the people involved. It will mean extra study for you two if we are to ever fully unlock the potential of this amazing gift.' Severus explained, drawing his wand and looking at the trio as the single unit they could become.  
'What's that actually mean, Supporting Defensive Trio?' Rufus asked, amazed by the similarities between their wands as they sat there.  
'Well, if for example we were engaged in a duel against the forces of you-know-who, and one of us was in trouble, we could be alerted through the magic joining us together. That's the supporting factor. The defensive factor stems from a new power that will grow inside us all as we come into this new connection. Shoulder-to-shoulder, one of us could cast through all three wands to achieve maximum strength for whatever spell was cast. Expelliarmus would be one spell that would be quite handy in that sort of situation.' Severus grinned, comforted by this new advance in their friendship.  
'I'm not sure I like that idea.' Aloysius muttered, not sure why he was against the idea.  
'Relax Aloysius, it's not as bad as it sounds. It will take quite a while for that to come into full strength and by the time it does, many other new abilities will have already appeared and grown between us.' Severus soothed, tucking his wand out of sight and getting to his feet carefully.  
'What sort of new abilities?' Rufus asked, clutching his new broomstick in one hand and a pile of books under the other.  
'You'll find that your skills in Legilimency and Occlumency increase as our mental connection strengthens. In time, emotions felt by one will be felt by all and thoughts can be passed silently by directing the thought towards the intended recipient within the trio. The defensive aspect counts on that ability forming and growing very strong, without it, the defensive factor wouldn't work. From what I read on the last known Supporting Defensive Trio, the loss of one member is extremely traumatic as carefully formed bonds and skills are torn apart. In the case I was reading about, the surviving two members went completely insane due to the loss.' Severus continued, entering the store and motioning to the shelves. Nodding their understanding, Rufus and Aloysius moved through the store, looking for their favoured pet. It didn't take Aloysius long to find his perfect match, attention grabbed and held tight by a sleek black cat with dazzling green eyes. Uncurling, the cat stood and padded to the front of her cage, reaching out with one paw to bat playfully at his fingertips as she started to purr.  
'I'll take this one.' he grinned, glancing at the assistant that had come his way.  
'I couldn't possibly break up that group. I'd be happy to sell you the three kittens if you're interested.' she replied, opening the cage and lifting out the green eyed cat and passing her to Aloysius before lifting out two more. One had orange eyes, the other brown-grey.  
'What do you think Sev, one each?' Rufus asked, wandering back to where Aloysius was gazing at the little kitten perched on his shoulder, still purring happily.  
'I have been meaning to get a pet.' Severus grinned, walking over and taking the one with the brown-grey eyes.  
'There's a nice tabby back there that I was looking at but you're much nicer.' Rufus chuckled, taking the last kitten and smiling as she sat up and knocked her head against his chin.  
'We'll take them, they'll fit in just nicely.' Severus agreed, quite taken with the sleek black kitten resting in his arms.  
'Very well, I'll find a basket for them.' gathering the kittens into her arms, the shop assistant wandered away towards a pile of wicker baskets behind the counter.  
'Perhaps we should get three different collars so we can tell them apart when they're asleep.' Aloysius suggested, turning towards a display of different collars.  
'Not a bad idea at all Aloysius.' Severus agreed, scanning the selection before picking the perfect one for his new cat.

Returning to Hogwarts several hours later, they popped out in their suite and immediately set to unpacking as Severus put the wicker basket down and opened it, only to find the kittens fast asleep in a pile. Reaching in, he lifted them out together and set them in front of the fire before setting the fire blazing merrily. Lifting their heads and stretching, the kittens shifted around and dropped back to sleep contentedly, black fur glimmering in the flickering light.

With the last of their supplies put away, Aloysius and Rufus returned to the living room and settled on the floor, watching the kittens sleep peacefully.  
'Seems almost a shame to wake them but this needs to be done.' Rufus sighed, picking one up and stroking her back until she blinked and opened her eyes. 'This one is yours Sev.' taking the kitten, Severus set her on his lap and stroked her fur lightly.  
'I think I'll call you Destiny.' he grinned, pulling out her new collar and fastening it around her neck. The emerald green leather and silver attachments looked beautiful against her fur and as he named her, the little silver tag hanging from the front glowed brightly before fading out to reveal the name now engraved on the tag.  
'From now on, you will be called Gypsy.' Aloysius nodded, securing a deep red and silver collar around her neck and looking away as the tag flared bright.  
'And you will be known as Midnight.' Rufus declared, buckling the dark blue and silver collar into place as the tag flashed and faded.

Unconcerned by the collars, the kittens stretched out and got comfortable, purring contentedly as they were stroked and loved by the new Supporting Defensive Trio. The perfect moment was rather rudely interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Groaning softly, Severus shifted the dozy kitten into his arms and stood, walking over to open the door.  
'Come in Dumbledore, we just got back.' he offered, moving aside so the older man could enter.  
'I see you picked up more than the necessary supplies Severus.' Dumbledore remarked, entering the room and looking around.  
'Aloysius saw a cat he liked but they wouldn't split the group so we decided to take all three. This is Destiny, Gypsy and Midnight are over there.' Severus nodded, walking over and setting Destiny down near the fire.  
'I received a very interesting floo from Mr Ollivander while you were away. When were you going to inform me that you three are a Supporting Defensive Trio?' Dumbledore asked, settling on the couch.  
'To be honest, we're all still adjusting to the idea. Sev explained a few things to us and it's a lot to take in at once.' Aloysius replied, getting up and depositing Gypsy beside her sister.  
'Yeah, I'm a bit worried about that mental connection thing he was talking about. Shared emotions and thoughts not sure I like that idea.' Rufus agreed, carrying Midnight over and setting her down by the fire.  
'Yes, it can be quite a concern when emotions and thoughts that are not your own start leaking into your mind. I have no doubt that you will soon learn how to control what is shared and what isn't.' Dumbledore offered, looking the three men over slowly and trying to figure out how they would work together in a duel.  
'I guess this means I'll have to stick close to you two during your studies. There's quite a bit we all need to learn about Supporting Defensive Trio's.' Severus remarked, kicking off his shoes and getting comfortable.  
'That would be a good idea Severus. As the senior wizard in the trio, it will be your responsibility to guide Aloysius and Rufus through the more personal side of the forming connections. And speaking of classes, your timetable has been drawn up for you. You will still be able to assist Severus in Potions but will also have five classes a day, worked into your already hectic schedule.' Dumbledore explained, handing each of them a neatly rolled piece of parchment.  
'Double Charms first thing tomorrow, then Herbology, Transfiguration, Potions and finally Astronomy.' Rufus read, wincing a little at the workload set out before them.  
'Wednesday is going to be rough, double Potions, History of Magic, Potions, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and finally Charms.' Aloysius groaned, hoping his brain could handle all that information.  
'Even better, that double Potions is the Slytherin Gryffindor first year class.' Severus sighed, calling another timetable to his hand.  
'What a way to start a Wednesday.' Rufus groused, hanging his head.  
'hang on a minute if I'm reading this right, I've either got to find other times to teach these two Potions properly or set them up in a corner and teach both classes at the same time.' Severus blinked, looking at the two sheets in his hands.  
'I was of the understanding that you were already teaching them a few things.' Dumbledore shrugged, waiting to see the solution Severus came up with.  
'Preparation of ingredients yes but actual potion making no. You know as well as I do that to actually make a potion requires magic and until today, I didn't know these two were undiscovered wizards.' Severus sighed, thinking fast and scanning the timetables quickly.  
'Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights are free, could we fit Potions classes in there?' Aloysius asked, spotting the three blank spaces.  
'Not to mention weekends if we need to.' Rufus added, looking forward to increasing his knowledge of their new world.  
'three nights a week and longer classes on Saturdays for some of the more complicated potion work I'd like to show you I don't see why that wouldn't work.' Severus nodded, summoning a quill and slotting in the last classes, watching his friends as their timetables changed to match his.  
'What's this Supporting Defensive Trio training class every Monday evening?' Rufus asked, spotting the one odd class among all the others on the page.  
'given your unique circumstances, it was agreed that one evening a week should be focused on encouraging you to recognise the various new skills that will come with your status. To begin with, classes will be held in one of the unused classrooms on the fifth floor. Once you have a solid understanding of what is happening and most of the new abilities have come to light, classes will be moved outside so you can expand your knowledge further. I will personally be taking that class, hopefully I can give you all you need to know in order to make your Supporting Defensive Trio the strongest ever seen.' Dumbledore explained, getting to his feet and heading for the door. 'Classes start tonight, after dinner. I will see you at eight o'clock sharp gentlemen.' he added before leaving the trio to relax before jumping into the work ahead of them.  
'One thing's for sure, DADA lessons are going to be a bust. We'll have to find time to do some real work on the subject, Quirrell is practically useless.' Severus groused, checking the time and running one hand through his hair.  
'Forget about it Sev, we'll make this work. We know what hard work is all about, this isn't that different.' Rufus soothed, setting his schedule down on the coffee table and sinking down beside the smaller man. 


	4. Chapter 4

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
TRAINING AND JOY *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Crawling out of bed and pulling his dressing gown on, Severus padded out of his bedroom and over to one of the shelves, reaching up to pull down the box of cat food so he could shake off the inky black shadow curling around his ankles. Crouching down, he refilled the three bowls as he listened for any signs of life from the other two rooms. Putting the box up again, he turned and padded over to put the kettle onto boil but misjudged the gap and slammed one bare foot into the leg of the coffee table.  
'God fuckin' damnit!' he howled, hopping around before crashing back onto the couch. From the occupied rooms, similar howls rang out and the other two cats came racing into view.  
'Sev, you okay?' Rufus asked, limping into sight as he secured his black silk gown around his waist.  
'Kicked the damn coffee table.' Severus replied, rubbing his bruised toes gently.  
'Yeah, we got that impression.' Aloysius sighed, slipping his glasses on as he emerged from his room. 'Dumbledore wasn't kidding when he said we'd pick up on the strongest emotions and stimuli first.'  
'I'll be happy if I never get woken up like that again.' Rufus yawned, smoothing out his untidy hair as he went and put the kettle on before grabbing down the three mugs on the mantle.  
'Well, at least we know we're making progress.' Severus shrugged, checking for any breaks before standing. 'Accio wand.' he called, holding out his hand. Much to everyone's surprise, all three wands flew to him instead of just the one he had been meaning.  
'Oh yeah, we're definitely making progress.' Aloysius agreed, catching his wand as Severus flicked it his direction.  
'Herbology then Transfiguration.' Severus offered, turning his gaze to Rufus.  
'What the hell?' Aloysius gawked, staring at the pair.  
'Rufus asked what classes we had.'  
'No, I was thinking about it but never said a word.' Rufus blinked, taking his wand and shaking his head in disbelief. 'On the upside, seems you're picking up on our language.' he added, focus turning back to the now whistling kettle.  
'What oh, I remember now. So that's where that came from. It felt right so I ran with it, even though I didn't know where it was coming from.' Severus shrugged, the throbbing in his foot easing off completely.  
'Let me see if I've got this right.' Rufus muttered, back still turned to his friends.

Focusing intently on the message he wanted to send, he flicked the image across to them and waited to see the result. Almost immediately, they moved to his side, taking mugs and silently rejoicing in the newly realised skills coming forward.  
'Now that takes some serious effort.' Rufus groaned, walking over to settle on the couch.  
'Dumbledore said it would get easier with practise.' Aloysius shrugged, sipping his coffee contentedly.  
'We should probably think about getting dressed and heading up for breakfast.' Severus remarked, still amazed by how safe he felt sandwiched in between the taller men.  
'Coffee first.' Rufus replied, hands wrapped around his mug as the rich scent got his mind kicking over properly.  
'Oh no, its Friday today, isn't it?' Severus yelped, gaze snapping to the calendar on the wall.  
'Double History of Magic right after lunch.' Aloysius groused, shoulders slumping at the mere thought of two hours with Professor Binns droning on about the past.  
'That's going to be a right bloody nightmare.' the three of them groaned, then blinked and stared before cracking up laughing.  
'Priceless.' Severus snorted, putting his teacup down safely.  
'Somehow I doubt that was one thought bleeding through to all.' Aloysius managed, relishing the chance to laugh so freely.  
'Hell no, Binns is such a bore.' Rufus agreed, holding his side lightly.

Joining the rest of the faculty for breakfast, they couldn't miss the way Dumbledore was watching them as they took their places.  
'I take it then that you've made a few big discoveries.' he grinned, sipping his tea slowly.  
'Pain sharing has started to make an appearance and we're starting to get the hang of mental messages.' Severus replied, handing the butter down at the mental request from Aloysius.  
'Good, very good indeed.' Dumbledore nodded, turning back to his breakfast and leaving the trio to eat in relative peace.  
'Are you three particularly busy this weekend?' Rolanda asked, apologising to Filius with a look for speaking over his head.  
'Saturday is booked out but there's nothing much planned for Sunday.' Rufus shrugged, picking up his coffee.  
'Sunday will do nicely. I know you're flat out with classes but I thought you might be able to squeeze in one more class every week.' Rolanda nodded, glancing out over the students quickly.  
'I'm sure something can be worked out Rolanda. How about we meet down by the Quidditch pitch at eleven o'clock Sunday morning?' Severus suggested, wanting to get a bit of distance away from the school before getting back on a broomstick.  
'I was thinking ten thirty but eleven is good.' Rolanda agreed, curious as to why Severus wanted to use the Quidditch pitch but she soon figured out one good reason for doing so.  
'I thought the Slytherin team were practising at eleven thirty on Sunday.' Aloysius remarked, glancing up as the owls came swooping in with the mail.  
'Better make it ten o'clock then.' Severus nodded, not ready to add further fuel to the fire regarding his still present limp.  
'Ten o'clock on Sunday it is. Have you got your own brooms or do I need to bring down a couple of the school ones?'  
'We've got our own, Sev got them for us when we were in Diagon Alley getting all our school needs.' Rufus replied, catching the falling newspaper and setting it on the table before snagging a small package and hiding it away inside his cloak.  
'Perfect, see you there.' Rolanda grinned, going back to her breakfast even as another owl dropped a newspaper beside her teacup.

Tucking the paper away inside his robes, Severus let his gaze drift over the Slytherin table to make sure they were behaving before going right back to ignoring them.  
'Oh crap, I just realised I haven't finished my homework for Transfiguration.' Rufus paled, glancing along the table to where McGonagall was sitting.  
'Shit, I completely forgot about that essay among all the others we had to write.' Aloysius hissed, suddenly nervous.  
'You two are a bad influence. Come on, Minerva can get really nasty if homework isn't done on time.' Severus gulped, finishing his tea and rising.  
'I can't write that fast. There's no way I can get a two foot essay written before class.' Aloysius uttered, bolting from the table before anyone could question their hurried exit. Knowing speed was of the essence, Severus didn't complain as Rufus scooped him up and sprinted down the corridor, Aloysius hot on their heels.

Skidding into their suite, they quickly grabbed for forgotten homework and gathered around the big desk taking up the other half of the main room. Spread out around the sides, they bent to the task and started writing, flicking back through their books to find the information needed to get their essays right.  
'I can't believe I forgot to do this before today.' Aloysius sighed, scanning through the text book propped up in front of him.  
'It's easy enough to get distracted by our new skills.' Rufus offered, scratching down another paragraph carefully.  
'Yeah, Dumbledore has been giving us a fair bit to think about.' Severus agreed, flicking through the pages and making sure he kept going back to the original question.

Silence fell over the trio as they worked, nothing but the scratching of quills over parchment or the turning of pages to intrude on the peaceful silence. That was until one of the house-elves popped into the room and set a steaming kettle and three mugs on the table before popping out again.  
'Here Sev, just the way you like it.' Aloysius uttered, passing the teacup down the table before picking up his coffee. 'Five inches, I can get this done.' he mumbled, flicking pages again.  
'Oh, thanks.' Severus grinned, sipping his tea without lifting his gaze from the parchment spread before him. 'Almost there now, three inches to do, shouldn't be hard to get that in the conclusion.'  
'And I'm done. It's a little over the two feet but I don't think that matters.' Rufus chuckled, closing his book and relaxing, sipping his coffee as he looked at the clock. 'You two had better write faster, we have to be at class in fifteen minutes.' he warned, weighting his essay down so it could dry properly as he walked over to refill the water bowl.  
'I knew I'd never get this done. Oh well, I can still get close.' Aloysius sighed, bending back to the task and continuing to write as quickly as he could.  
'Come on Aloysius, you can finish this one. Five inches isn't that much, you can get that done in a few minutes.' Severus coaxed, finishing his essay with a flourish and weighting it out to finish drying.  
'I'll do my best. Would you mind gathering up the other books I need while I finish this?' Aloysius nodded, hand flying across the page as he tried to get his essay done and avoid another punishment.  
'Sure, you just focus on your essay.' Severus nodded, heading into Aloysius' room to grab the needed books from the collection on his chest of drawers.

Crawling out of bed on Sunday morning, Rufus was careful of where he put his feet as he wandered through to the living room and got the fire blazing merrily with a flick of his wand. Turning slightly, he aimed his wand at the CD player and turned it on to a new country CD he'd ordered and sent via several hands until arriving by owl on Friday.  
'Oh yeah, now that's more like it.' he grinned, feeding the cats and putting the kettle on to boil. Whistling along with the music, he headed into his room again to get dressed.

Stretching contentedly in his bed, Severus stirred from his slumber and sat up, listening to the soft music coming from the living room. Flicking his hair back, he pulled on his clothes and padded out into the living room. Jumping down off the couch, Destiny mewed happily and ran to him, purring loudly the moment she was picked up and cradled close to his chest.  
'Morning Sev.' Rufus called, squeezing his shoulder lightly as he passed.  
'Morning Rufus. Ready for your first flying lesson?' Severus grinned, nestling Destiny around his neck and rubbing between her ears.  
'I've been flying for years Sev, this will be my first time flying on a broomstick though.' Rufus replied, draping Midnight around his neck as he gathered up a few of his favourite memories and sent them over to Severus.  
'But oh wow, this is what you used to do?' Severus blinked, going through the offered memories and smiling warmly at the pure joy he was picking up on in every one of them.  
'Yep, I flew for the US Army for many years before we went rouge and got into the Bounty Hunting game. That first one was flying fighters on bombing raids, then flying choppers taking men like Aloysius into combat and bringing them home. That last one is my favourite; the first day I got my very own fighter jet, the feared Black Raven.' Rufus explained, the memories bringing up feelings of longing to soar again.  
'This might help you prepare, my first flying lesson.' Severus offered, digging up the memory and throwing it across to Rufus.

Looking the memory over, Rufus choked on his laughter as he lifted the kettle off the fire and poured the drinks carefully.  
'Okay, so I wasn't that great my first time around. My first Quidditch practise was even worse.' Severus shrugged, sending another memory towards the giggling pilot. Letting the memory play, Rufus winced and handed Severus the old teacup before settling on the couch and playing the memory through again.  
'Oohh, I'll bet that hurt.' he uttered, a little rattled at the sight.  
'It wasn't too bad considering. I didn't make the team, and never tried again. One Bludger to the face was quite enough for me thank you.' Severus shrugged, settling beside Rufus and glancing towards the clock.  
'So that's how you broke your nose the first time.' Rufus nodded, sending a wake up message to Aloysius as he spoke.  
'No, that's how I broke it the second time. First time was a scuffle with the Marauders; Potter, Lupin, Black and Pettigrew. From the first time we met, it was absolute hatred.' Severus corrected, thinking back to his younger years, this time careful not to pass the memories on to anyone else.  
'Alright, I'm awake half.' Aloysius groaned, padding out into the living room and sinking down into the armchair.  
'Coffee is waiting for you.' Rufus grinned, pressing the mug into his hands. 'Did you like your wake up call?'  
'Hell yeah but how did you do that?'  
'My secret, you'll figure it out one day.'  
'What did you send him?' Severus asked, suddenly and inexplicably nervous.  
'You'll find out one of these days Sev, just not today.' Rufus replied, squeezing his wrist comfortingly.  
'You mean you sly dog Rufus, you came up with that all on your own.' Aloysius smirked, realising now what Rufus had done for him to give him such a wake up call.  
'I sure did, took a while but I think I got it just right.' Rufus confirmed, cheeks flaring red for a moment.  
'All of a sudden, I'm not sure I want to know.' Severus sighed, finishing his tea and heading to get dressed.

Once they were certain he was out of earshot, Aloysius shot over to sit beside Rufus and put his coffee mug down so he could wrap both hands around one strong wrist.  
'That was really sweet of you buddy but I'm not sure it's such a good idea. We don't even know if he's interested in that sort of thing with us or anyone else.' he uttered, dropping his gaze.  
'Actually, I do know which way he's looking. I heard Filius and Rolanda talking about it last night when I was coming back from the library. She was saying how she quite fancied the new Severus, wondering if he'd be interested in a date. Filius quickly shot her down, saying she had the wrong equipment to snag his focus. When she asked what he meant, he explained that Dumbledore, Hagrid or he would have a better chance, depending on his tastes. That seemed to upset Rolanda a bit and she ran off close to tears.' Rufus explained, tipping Aloysius' chin back up again.  
'Well, if that's the case wait until he's asleep tonight and we'll discuss the plan.' Aloysius nodded, moving away as Severus emerged from his room, just pulling his cloak on as he returned to the couch.  
'Hurry up and get dressed Aloysius, I'm starving and we've got a big day today.' Rufus grinned, practically vibrating with excitement.  
'Alright, keep your shirt on Rufus.' Aloysius sighed, draining his coffee mug and getting to his feet.

Bad leg hooked up comfortably on the stirrup, Severus relaxed and waited as Rolanda talked the rookie fliers through taking off and controlling the broomstick.  
'You might as well get in some extra practise Severus. This is your first time back on a broomstick since your memory wipe, correct?' Rolanda called, refusing to look back at him.  
'You are quite correct Rolanda but I don't want to distract the others.' Severus nodded, shifting his weight slightly.  
'Go down the other end, we'll be fine.' Rolanda instructed, startling everyone with the anger in her voice.  
'Alright, alright, I'm going.' Severus sighed, kicking off and heading for the far end of the pitch. His track was less than perfect as he tried to find the balance point that didn't cause too much pain in his problematic hip.  
'I wish I knew what had Rolanda so upset.' he muttered, smoothing out his flight path and rising up higher.  
"She fancied you Sev but last night Filius told her that she had the wrong equipment to stand a chance at seducing you." Rufus' voice whispered across his mind, yet again proving how fast their skills were growing.  
'He'd know too. Filius never could keep a secret, no matter how many times you made him promise not to tell.' Severus sighed, continuing his flight and regaining the elegance he'd once had in the air.  
"Talk to her Sev, explain the situation. This is only going to get worse if you let it fester. Apologise, even if you can't see the purpose of such a thing. She'll appreciate the effort, even if she can't have you like she wants. Hold onto the friendship, don't ever let that go." Aloysius advised, his words carrying the wisdom of the ages.  
'She'd as likely break my nose. You two haven't seen Rolanda Hooch on a bad day.' Severus replied, circling back around and drifting through a few simple manoeuvres he could remember from that one Quidditch tryout he'd bothered with.  
"The longer you leave it, the worse she's going to get. I heard Filius tell her last night, so you've already lost more time than I'd like. We've got the basics down, we'll clear out and do a few laps so you can get down here and talk to her now." Rufus offered, glancing at Aloysius as Severus swept down from where he'd been practising.  
'Alright, I trust you two. But if she gets violent, I'm outta there. I haven't forgotten the last time we had a disagreement, it wasn't pretty. I'd rather be a coward in our suite then a hero in the medical wing.' Severus agreed reluctantly, coming in for a landing as Aloysius and Rufus kicked off and shot into the sky.  
'Get back here you two.' Rolanda called after them, annoyed they'd just taken off like that.  
'Let them go Rolanda, they learn better through practical methods. I need to talk to you about what Filius said last night.' Severus grinned, dismounting with a wobble before falling on his ass. 'Damnit, another skill to relearn.' he muttered, getting slowly to his feet only to find Rolanda was stalking away.

Mounting up again, he raced after her and swung his Nimbus around to block her path. She glared but stopped, arms folded across her chest angrily.  
'Rolanda, please. Just hear me out. I know what Filius told you last night, Rufus told me what he heard.' Severus tried, managing to keep his feet when he dismounted again.  
'So you thought you'd just lead people on. I was so close to asking you on a date when Filius opened his big mouth.' Rolanda sighed, suddenly finding her shoes fascinating.  
'I'm sorry Rolanda, you shouldn't have found out that way. I would have said yes though, taken you out for a great time and let you down as gently as is humanly possible. You're an amazing woman Rolanda, any man would be lucky to have you. I just can't be that man and for that I'm sorry.' Severus offered, reaching out to lightly take one hand. 'I'd still like to take you out for a drink sometime, as friends blowing off some steam together.' he continued, squeezing gently.  
'I'd like that Severus but is it right to leave those two behind? Dumbledore explained the connection growing between you all, I don't want to damage that growing bond.' Rolanda uttered, lifting her gaze slowly.  
'I've been meaning to evaluate their progress in Potions, this is a good chance to do that. I can set them up in the classroom with a test to keep them busy for a couple hours and we can sit in my office and share a bottle of fine firewhisky.' Severus offered, glancing skyward and smiling at the pair soaring overhead.  
'I'd like that Severus.' Rolanda agreed, gracing him with a tender smile.  
'Shall I meet you outside my office at eight o'clock then?' Severus nodded, relaxing a little more now that the tension was gone from between them.  
'I'll be there Severus.' Rolanda beamed, releasing his hand. 'Now go on, get back up there and lead these young wizards like you're supposed to be doing.' she added, mounting her broom and kicking off.  
'Yes Madam Hooch.' Severus grinned, swinging into position and heading up after her.

Slotting into place between his friends, Severus moved forward a little and swept wide, Aloysius and Rufus sticking in close to his flanks as they raced through the sky together.  
"All good now Sev?" Rufus asked, sticking in tight on his right flank and laughing happily.  
'Yeah, we're all good. While you two are revising Potions work tonight, we're going to share a drink and talk.' Severus nodded, sending whispers of guidance as he tightened up the corners.  
"In other words, you're giving us a test so you can have some quiet time with Rolanda." Aloysius snorted, rolling under a tighter corner and popping back into place.  
'It's just casual drinks Aloysius, nothing more. Rolanda understands now and I think she's grateful to at least have me as a friend even though a relationship beyond that isn't going to work.' Severus grinned, flipping right over and racing in the other direction.  
"You won't avoid us that easily Sev." Rufus crowed, charging after him with a whoop of laughter.  
'We'll see guys, we'll see.' Severus smirked, pulling up and charging high into the sky.  
"Remember Sev, we're used to tracking down elusive targets, this ain't so different." Aloysius challenged, cutting right and heading around on a longer track as Rufus chased Severus down.  
'I'm a little more dangerous than most targets you've gone after.' Severus countered, rolling left and breaking away from Rufus.  
"Possibly but you're still human and all humans have their weaknesses." Rufus replied, putting on a burst of speed and forcing Severus to snap back around to the right.  
"And we just found yours." Aloysius added, charging up from where he'd been hiding and yanking Severus off his broomstick and onto his own, left arm wrapped firmly around his waist.

Coming in and touching down lightly, Aloysius dismounted and caught Severus as he wobbled on the dismount.  
'Better luck next time Sev. You almost got away from me but you've got to keep an eye on Aloysius too, he's the real danger.' Rufus chuckled, landing beside them and handing Severus back his broomstick.  
'That was quite impressive. Are you sure you've never done this before?' Rolanda praised, joining them back on the ground.  
'I've flown yeah but never on a broomstick. Spent a few years flying muggle aircraft for the US Army.' Rufus shrugged, dismounting and slinging his broomstick over one shoulder.  
'First time I've ever flown where I've got the controls. In the past, he had the controls and I did the fighting.' Aloysius added, glancing back at Rufus proudly.  
'Somehow I don't think our old competitors would appreciate the gag if we went after them armed with this sort of gear.' Rufus smirked, remembering past dogfights with pride.  
'Not that they'd realise what was going on.' Aloysius nodded, not really interested in going back to those times.

Gathered outside the castle on Monday night, the trio swapped concerned looks as Dumbledore approached with several members of staff right behind him.  
'After considering how far you've come in your abilities, I think it is time to see how well you cope with a difficult situation. You will each be taken to a different location within the castle or grounds. When the signal is given, your first task is to escape from the clutches of whoever is keeping you separated from your trio. Once you have escaped, you will need to find each other and make your way to Hagrid's hut without being spotted by any of the guards spotting you. Hagrid will give you shelter and signal the end of the challenge only if you all arrive at his hut together. Use the skills you have to stay in touch and establish the best way to find each other and a safe location to wait if that becomes the best option. You are permitted to use whatever non-lethal spells you deem necessary to help you achieve your goal. There is no time limit associated with this task but before dawn would be appreciated.' Dumbledore explained, motioning for the staff to encircle the trio.  
"This could be interesting." Rufus muttered, drawing on shared knowledge to cast a silent wandless protection charm over the pouch on his belt where his wand was tucked away.  
"We'll be okay. This is good training if we ever have to face you-know-who." Severus soothed, knowing full well he was the weakest physical link.  
"Don't go there Sev, you'll do just fine. Just do the best you can, we'll be there to pick you up." Aloysius hissed, casting the same protection spell around his wand.  
"You know the right spells to use, just pick your targets and make them pay for this. We may be a trio in training but we are already stronger than this undignified romp." Severus nodded, locking his gaze on Minerva and lifting his chin.  
"Undignified or not Sev, we need the practise." Rufus offered, face a blank slate as he stared at Quirrell.  
"Just keep feeding us spells that might be handy, we'll feed you escape and evasion skills." Aloysius added, scowling at Filius as they waited to see what was going to happen. With a crack of spells, the challenge began.

Dark eyes cracking open, Severus lifted his head a couple inches and looked around his new location, trying to work out exactly where in Hogwarts he was being held. Blinking slowly in the dim light, he slowly started recognising things and nodded slowly.  
"Guys, where are you? Aloysius! Rufus! Answer me you two! Come on guys, where are you?" he tried, listening intently for any sign of his captors.  
"Sev! Where are you? I'm outside, out beyond the Quidditch pitch I think." Rufus sighed, relief flooding the link.  
"I'm pretty sure I'm in the Astronomy Tower. Can you see anyone around you?" Severus asked, spotting Aurora Sinistra and Septima Vector pacing around the room.  
"Yeah, I can just make out Filius to my left and I think that's Pomona to my right. It's so dark out here I can't be sure." Rufus offered, sounding like he had a plan.  
"Filius is the problem, he used to be a duelling champion. Pomona isn't so difficult, but she'll still be a challenge. Have you got your wand still?" Severus guided, waiting a moment longer before flipping over and aiming at the two women pacing the room. 'Stupefy!' he barked, the women close enough that one spell hit them both.  
"Yeah, I've got it. Either they didn't see it or my protection spell worked like it was supposed to." Rufus confirmed, picking up on Severus' sudden movement. "What's going on up there?"  
"I'm on the move, Sinistra and Vector are down, hit with stupefy. Now, you'll have to move fast to get away from Filius and Pomona. Hit Filius with expelliarmus to get his wand and throw him back. Then turn and take Pomona down with stupefy. Filius will probably be up by then, you'll have to stupefy him as well before making a run for the castle." Severus guided, slipping from the classroom and hustling down the stairs as fast as he could.

Outside, Rufus flew into action, jerking and rolling to one knee as he silently called his wand to hand. Snapping out his left hand, he sent Filius flying back a good fifteen feet before throwing his wand to his right and ducking the incoming impedimenta from Pomona. Stupefying her quickly, he stood and turned to Filius as the much smaller man got to his feet.  
'Accio wand!' Filius cried, ripping the wand from Rufus' hand.  
'Obscuro!' Rufus countered, blindfolding the Charms Professor and darting to the left. 'Petrificus totalus!' he barked, waiting until Filius fell before bolting back towards the Quidditch pitch.

This turned out to be a bad idea. The moment he came close to the pitch, someone popped up on the top of the structure and opened fire, trying to herd him towards one particular tower.  
'Impervius.' Rufus muttered, casting the spell on himself as he turned again and headed straight for the entrance.  
'Incarcerous!' Quirrell's voice rang out in the darkness, giving away his location.  
'Levicorpus!' Rufus countered, homing in on Quirrell and lifting him up to dangle from one ankle.  
"Nice one Rufus, he'll be up there until one of us lets him down." Severus praised, giving Rufus the counter curse just in case.  
"I do my best Sev. Any word from Aloysius yet?" Rufus grinned, continuing to try and lock down the other assailant in the area.  
"Nothing yet but I'm trying to locate him. Try using deprimo to find whoever is throwing spells at you." Severus sighed, swearing as he came a little too close to being discovered by Dumbledore.  
'Deprimo!' Rufus cried, bracing against the powerful wind now whipping around the Quidditch pitch. Now he could clearly see his target, Rolanda was up in the stands, busy trying to keep her feet. 'Incarcerous!' he called, tipping her back into the stands so she couldn't get hurt.  
"Who did you catch out?" Severus asked, back on the move again now that the corridor was clear.  
"Hooch with incarcerous and Quirrell with levicorpus." Rufus replied, cancelling the wind and sprinting up towards the castle.  
"Okay, we're doing fine so far. Head for the castle and meet me in the DADA classroom. With Quirrell out of the way, it will be safe to hide there until we can locate Aloysius." Severus instructed, fading back into the shadows as Pomfrey walked past.

Slipping out from behind the suit of armour, Severus continued down the corridor carefully. Hearing footsteps behind him, he shot into the nearest classroom and sunk back into the shadows, drawing his cloak up over his face. Calming his breathing, he relaxed and sank into the shadows completely just as the door opened and Quirrell entered the room, closing the door silently behind him.  
'Sev, don't fire. Thanks for the hints, made it so easy to get through the castle.' he uttered, moving away from the door and dropping the disguise. Bright robes and pale flesh faded and changed to reveal dark clothes and tanned flesh.  
'Damnit Aloysius, we've been worried about you.' Severus hissed, dropping his cloak and stepping away from the walls.  
'Yeah, sorry about that. Didn't want anyone picking up on the fact I was hiding right in front of them.' Aloysius grinned, drawing his wand and rolling his shoulders.  
"Rufus, change of plans. Find a spot by the stairs, use whatever means necessary within the rules to stay undiscovered. I've got Aloysius, we'll be there shortly." Severus sighed, clapping Aloysius on the back lightly before cracking the door open.  
"Damnit Aloysius! You pull a vanishing act like that again and you're going to really cop hell." Rufus snarled, swearing as someone else took a shot at him. "Fuck! Filius is loose again. I say again, Filius has shaken off petrificus totalus." He warned, taking shelter and hitting the little Charms Professor again.  
"Hang in there Rufus, we're on our way." Severus coached, casting an impenetrable darkness around the area before charging down the corridor with Aloysius right beside him.

Diving behind a handy pillar, Rufus hunched down and tried to present a smaller target as Filius approached the stone stairs leading straight to where he practically had the bigger man trapped.  
'Glisseo.' Rufus whispered, turning the stairs into a slick ramp leading away from him. Then, just to make sure he'd have no more trouble from Filius, he peeked out from behind the pillar and checked the situation.  
'Expelliarmus!' Filius tried but Rufus ducked out of sight and the spell hit the door behind him.  
'Obscuro! Expelliarmus! Levicorpus!' Rufus snapped, pausing only a few seconds between each spell until he got Filius dangling twelve feet in the air.  
"We're almost there Rufus, how're you holding up?" Severus asked, yanking Aloysius out of sight as Aurora and Septima moved down the corridor together.  
"I'm okay, Filius is back on the controlled list. Just hurry, I don't know how long until the others start making a show. Pomona was only stupefied and I tied Rolanda up with incarcerous." Rufus replied, moving into the shadows as he heard voices approaching his position.  
"We're hurrying Rufus but we just hit a minor snag. Minerva is prowling the corridors in her animangus form. We can't make a move while she's here." Aloysius sighed, starting to get a little ticked with this game.  
"Hit her with the homorphus charm and stupefy her, two wands will make short work of the job. I'm on my own out here fuck, Pomona and Rolanda are back on the move, heading to my location." Rufus suggested, freezing when he heard the women talking.  
"Jelly-fingers and jelly legs." Aloysius countered, busy dealing with his own problem even as he advised Rufus.  
"That'll do just nicely. Watch the stairs coming out this way, I hit them with glisseo." Rufus warned, poking his head out and waiting for the women.

Wincing a little as his expelliarmus threw Minerva further than intended, Aloysius spun and bolted as Severus set off several distractions then followed. Shooting out the door, they spotted Rufus and grabbed him by the shoulders, making use of the converted staircase to speed their escape. Turning back for a moment, Severus put the stairs right before continuing to run, sweat starting to form under his collar.  
'Levicorpus!' Aloysius cried, leaving Sybill Trelawney hanging a good six feet in the air.  
'Seems you've both picked up that little spell I came up with.' Severus grinned, whipping around again. 'Stupefy!' behind them, Charity Burbage hit the ground, wand flying from her hand.  
'Incarcerous!' Dumbledore barked, appearing in the darkness and aiming at the running trio.  
'Protego!' Aloysius countered, wrapping the spell around them all and sending Dumbledore's spell right back at him.  
'Perfect shot.' Severus praised, picking up the pace as they approached Hagrid's hut.  
'Rufus, take the weight.' Aloysius snapped, spinning away from the bigger man and scanning the area around them.  
'Come on, we have to hit that door together.' Rufus barked, grabbing Aloysius' arm and dragging him along.

Delving deep and pushing hard, the exhausted trio slid to a stop and pounded on the door, panting hard as the door swung open.  
'Nicely done, very nicely done.' Hagrid praised, raising his gaudy pink umbrella over their heads as he hustled them inside to rest. Sinking down on the couch, they saw the red flare shoot up into the air and explode, scattering golden sparks all around the hut.  
'You two need to go release Sybill, Filius and Quirinus.' Severus grinned, gratefully accepting the cup of tea Hagrid handed him.  
'I might be gone a little while. Quirinus is down at the Quidditch pitch.' Rufus sighed, getting to his feet and heading for the door.  
'So that's why Madam Hooch asked me to look after this.' Hagrid uttered, walking over to the far side of his hut.  
'Look after what Hagrid?' Aloysius asked, pausing in the doorway.  
'Here Rufus, this should speed things up a bit.' Hagrid called, holding out the broomstick.  
'I'll say. Thanks Hagrid.' Rufus nodded, taking the broomstick and disappearing into the sky.  
"I'll get Filius while I'm going." Aloysius offered, jogging back to where he'd left Sybill hanging.  
"Thanks Aloysius, I'd appreciate that." Rufus replied, well on his way to where he'd left Quirrell hanging.

Returning a few minutes later, Rufus touched down lightly and helped Quirrell down off the broomstick before dismounting and heading inside. Squeezing through the gathered staff, he sunk down beside Severus and handed the broomstick back to Madam Hooch with a smile.  
'Did you really have to string Filius up that high?' Aloysius groused, rubbing at his left shoulder.  
'I wasn't thinking about any particular height, I just wanted him out of the way so we could get past him.' Rufus shrugged, reaching around behind Severus and digging his fingers into Aloysius' aching shoulder.  
'That was a very nice catch Aloysius.' Filius nodded, perched rather contentedly on the arm of the chair Dumbledore was sitting in.  
'I do what I can Filius.' Aloysius grinned, groaning softly as Rufus found the knot deep in the muscle.  
'You could use a little practise with expelliarmus unless you really intended to go that far Aloysius.' Minerva sighed, rubbing her head lightly as he sipped her tea.  
'I do apologise about that Minerva, I didn't mean to throw you that far back.' Aloysius replied, dropping his gaze.  
'I must congratulate you on your effort in the Astronomy Tower Severus. I had no idea you were that skilled with bouncing spells.' Septima offered, smiling warmly at the still sweating man.  
'You were standing close enough to Aurora that I didn't need to bounce that stupefy, I just aimed for both.' Severus shrugged, digging in his pockets and downing a painkilling potion. 'Next time we do something like this, can we not make Hagrid's hut the safe zone. Running down that slope is dangerous, not to mention murder on my hip.' he added, shifting a little until he was comfortable.  
'I believe something else can be arranged the next time we have an exercise like tonight.' Dumbledore nodded, looking slowly around the gathering.  
'Hang on a minute. If Quirinus was hanging over the Quidditch pitch, who did I see walking down the corridor looking just like him?' Silvanus Kettleburn asked, gaze falling on the trio as they relaxed and tried to ease the burning in their legs.  
'That would have been me Silvanus. Another little something I picked from Sev's mind.' Aloysius grinned, pulling his hair off his neck and tying it out of the way quickly.  
'That is some highly advanced Transfiguration Aloysius, very well done on getting it right.' Minerva praised, astounded by the manifesting abilities.  
'Rufus did an excellent job down at the Quidditch pitch, using deprimo to move the banners and reveal my location then following with incarcerous and making sure I fell back into the stands.' Rolanda added, smiling warmly at the taller man.  
'Let me guess, you got deprimo from Severus as well.' Filius nodded, proud of how well the three were working together.  
'Yeah, he also guided me through taking you two down.' Rufus replied, gaze drifting to Pomona. 'And again when I hit Pomona and Rolanda with jelly legs and fingers.'  
'I was most impressed by Aloysius' use of protego. It has been many years since I was caught out like that.' Dumbledore chuckled as Aloysius flushed at the praise.  
'That was all him, I was too busy trying not to slip and do myself another injury.' Severus added, clapping Aloysius on the shoulder proudly. 'They have both come a long way in such a short time.'  
'Quite correct Severus. Now, I think it would be best if we all went back inside and straight to bed. Another busy day tomorrow.' Minerva agreed, getting to her feet unsteadily.  
'Perhaps you should go see Poppy first Minerva, just to make sure you're all right.' Dumbledore suggested, finishing his tea and heading for the door.  
'I think I will Albus, a suit of armour and a stone wall does not make for a pleasant landing.' Minerva sighed, leaning lightly on Rolanda as she left the hut.  
'Good night Hagrid.' Rufus nodded, slipping from the hut and waiting for the others.  
'This is going to be murder, even with the painkilling potion.' Severus sighed, hobbling towards the door.  
'Chill Sev, we've got you.' Aloysius sighed, grabbing Rufus' offered hand and scooping the exhausted man into the support chair.  
'What would I do without you two?' Severus grinned, arms draped around their necks as they headed back to the castle. 


	5. Chapter 5

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
CHRISTMAS LOVE *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Setting the fire blazing with a tired flick of his wand, Aloysius fed the cats and put the kettle on to boil before glancing towards the brightly lit Christmas tree in the corner. Nestled underneath were nine gaily wrapped presents, each one carefully chosen and wrapped with the ultimate of care.  
'Morning Aloysius, merry Christmas.' Rufus called, tying his hair back as he emerged from his room.  
'Morning Ruf, merry Christmas.' Aloysius replied, covering a yawn and stretching.  
'So tonight you reckon?' Rufus asked, walking over to wrap his arms around Aloysius' waist.  
'Yeah, he should be relaxed enough to accept it tonight.' Aloysius nodded, enjoying the tender moment before slipping away to make their morning drinks.  
'I really hope he accepts, I don't think I could handle a refusal.' Rufus uttered, hands wrapping around his coffee mug as he settled on the couch comfortably.  
'I don't think that's going to happen. He's lonely; you've felt the changes in his mind. Friendship is one thing but he needs more.' Aloysius sighed, sinking down beside Rufus and sipping his coffee.  
'Morning guys, merry Christmas.' Severus called, drawing his old dressing gown around his frame as he padded out into the living room and picked up his tea.  
'Morning Sev, merry Christmas.' Rufus replied, shuffling over a little more so he could squeeze in between them.  
'How'd you sleep?' Aloysius asked, gaze drifting over to the presents again.  
'As well as can be expected.' Severus sighed, keeping his left arm tucked in against his abdomen to hide the mark on his arm.  
'Drink your tea and we'll do what we can to wipe out those bad memories.' Rufus grinned, getting up and walking over to gather up the presents under the tree.

Carrying them back to the table, he sorted them out and set the presents down safely, checking the tags one last time before sinking back down beside Severus.  
'Come on Sev, smile for us. It's Christmas, a time to be happy and perhaps a little bit crazy.' Aloysius grinned, putting his coffee mug down and picking up the smallest of his presents in front of him.  
'A time to eat too much and just let go of your cares and worries.' Rufus added, setting a matching present on his lap.  
'I can try I just can't stop thinking that this is important. I just can't remember why it means so much.' Severus nodded, finishing his tea and taking one of the presents sitting in front of him.  
'It'll come to you; you just haven't had the right trigger yet. Now come on, open your presents.' Aloysius offered, toying with Severus' hair lightly.  
'This might actually be a good Christmas, unlike so many others.' Severus mused, unpicking the red ribbon and folding the paper back. Inside the paper was a simple blue box, the lid easily pried away to reveal paler blue tissue paper. Flipping the tissue paper back revealed the well thought out gift folded neatly inside. Getting up and putting the box on the couch, Severus grasped the gift and lifted it out, jaw dropping at the sight of what they'd given him.

Emerald green satin draped from his hands, silver serpents embroidered front and back and there was a lovely Celtic design embroidered on the belt.  
'Guys I don't know what to say. It's amazing, thank you so much.' he uttered, still holding up the dressing gown.  
'You don't have to say anything Sev, just put it on. Go on, we'll be right here waiting.' Aloysius chuckled, waving Severus away. 'We'll open the presents you got for us while we're waiting.'  
'Yeah, okay.' Severus nodded, heading for his bedroom.  
'Did you see that, he looked so overwhelmed by such a simple gesture?' Rufus whispered, releasing the silver ribbon wrapped around the small gift in his hands.  
'I don't think anyone has ever treated him right.' Aloysius agreed, working the green ribbon loose and tearing open one end of the package so he could get at whatever was hidden inside.

Emerging from his room, Severus tightened his belt and smiled warmly at the sight on the couch. Rufus and Aloysius were smiling warmly, eyes drawn to him as they wrapped the warm green and silver scarves around their necks.  
'Wow, look at you Sev. You look amazing.' Rufus grinned, getting to his feet and walking over for a closer look.  
'You really think so?' Severus asked, cheeks flushing red as he stood there.  
'Oh yeah, absolutely amazing. You know us; we would never lie to you.' Aloysius confirmed, adjusting the scarf around his neck as he padded over to run one hand through Severus' tousled hair.  
'Its great guys, I'll treasure it always. Do you like your scarves?' Severus grinned; blush fading as he was lead back to the couch.  
'I love it Sev, it's so warm and comforting.' Aloysius nodded, adjusting the way it was sitting around his neck as he settled on the couch.  
'You picked a great present Sev, I couldn't have asked for anything better.' Rufus beamed, swallowing down his now cold coffee.

Looking over the two remaining presents in front of him, Severus picked up the larger of the two and was amazed by the weight of whatever was hidden inside. Releasing the blue ribbon and peeling back the crisp white paper revealed a wonderful surprise. Opening the velvet covered box, Severus gently picked up the crystal decanter and held it up in both hands. The light from the merrily crackling fire danced within the beautifully made vessel, flashing and flickering in front of his eyes.  
'Wow, this is amazing Rufus. You've seen the others I've got but nothing compares to the sheer magnificence of this one.' he praised, setting the decanter back in the box and picking up one of the glasses.  
'I commissioned a special set, just for us. I asked for our names to be engraved as well, one glass each.' Rufus offered, indicating the flowing script curling delicately around the side of the glass.  
'Thank you Rufus, it's incredible. I'll have to find something of very high quality to go in the decanter, nothing but the best will touch this set.' Severus promised, carrying the new drinking set over to the liquor cabinet and setting the velvet box safely up on top before lifting the four pieces out and placing them in the cabinet safely.  
'Perhaps this last gift will be something of suitable quality.' Aloysius suggested, holding up the last gift for the older man.  
'I should have expected you two to work together.' Severus grinned, returning to the couch.  
'Actually, we didn't. I had no idea Rufus had commissioned such a set when I chose this for you Sev.' Aloysius replied, pressing the bright red tubular gift into his hands. Untangling the silver ribbon and pulling the paper back, Severus withdrew a very expensive looking bottle and turned it over, eyes sweeping the label.  
'VSOP. Fine napoleon brandy.' he uttered, grateful for Rufus' hand wrapped under his own as he stared at the bottle. He'd learned how expensive this stuff was and to be given a bottle was truly wondrous.  
'Nothing but the best for you Sev. So, do you think this is worthy of your new crystal decanter?' Aloysius nodded, still amazed by how awestruck Severus was when given such gifts. It was almost like no one had treated him with such respect and admiration.  
'More than worthy Aloysius, definitely more than worthy.' Severus chuckled, carrying the bottle over to the cabinet and carefully pouring the contents into the decanter, mindful not to spill a single drop.

Decanter held in one hand and tray balanced on his right, Severus returned to the couch and deftly poured the drinks, never letting a drop miss where he wanted it to go. Stoppering the decanter again, he handed the glasses around and sat back, gazing thoughtfully at the precious liquid.  
'Here's to our first Christmas as a bonded trio.' he offered, lifting his glass.  
'To the newest Supporting Defensive Trio.' Aloysius and Rufus replied, glasses clinking before they drank.  
'Now that is some very good brandy. Best keep that hidden from Albus.' Severus remarked, enjoying the peaceful moment before heading for breakfast.  
'Like I said Sev, nothing but the best for you.' Aloysius repeated, putting his glass down and picking up the smaller of his remaining gifts, turning the red and green bundle over slowly. 'Now what could this be?'  
'I hope you like it, it wasn't easy to get but I managed with a little help.' Rufus uttered, picking up another tiny package and untying the golden ribbon.  
'Likewise, but I'm sure you'll like the results.' Aloysius replied, working the paper loose quickly.

Severus watched in wonder as the paper fell away to reveal simple wooden boxes, each one small enough to fit in their palms. Opening the boxes, identical looks of shock crossed their faces before they lifted out strange looking chains, made up of little metal balls joined together. Hanging from these chains were two flat metal panels with something engraved on them. Whatever these were, Aloysius and Rufus were certainly happy to have them.  
'What are they?' he asked, trying to read the engravings as they slipped the chains over their heads proudly.  
'Well before we met you, we served in the US Army, I was a Special Forces operative on the ground and Rufus flew into hot areas to drop guys like me off and bring us home again. These are called dogtags, every service member wears them and most keep them after they leave the armed forces. I sacrificed mine to buy us some time, charring them up and slipping them around the neck of a burns victim.' Aloysius explained, slipping his tags off and handing them to Severus so he could take a closer look.  
'I can't rightly remember where I lost my first set, but it doesn't really matter now that I've got a replacement set.' Rufus added, placing the second set in Severus' hand.  
'What's it all mean? Sure, I recognise your names but the rest of it is unfamiliar.' Severus asked, holding up the dogtags and reading what was written on them.  
'Name, serial number, date of birth, gender, blood type and religion.' Rufus explained, squeezing his shoulder lightly.  
'All the vital information a soldier needs to have close to hand at all times.' Aloysius added, ducking his head as Severus reached up and slid the chain over his head.

Picking up the last joint presents, Aloysius and Rufus couldn't wipe the proud smiles off their faces as they pulled the golden paper free and stood, flicking out the heavy black cloaks.  
'Winter cloaks, perfect for this time of the year.' Rufus grinned, flicking his around his shoulders and securing the clasp.  
'So soft and warm, these are brilliant.' Aloysius added, pulling up the fur trimmed hood and enjoying the warmth wrapped around him.  
'You missed the main beauty of these and the reason they class as joint gifts.' Severus chuckled, calling his new cloak to his hand and holding it up so they could see his name, encircled by a snake, embroidered in silver with details done in green on the back. Slipping theirs off again, Rufus and Aloysius looked at them, admiring the embroidery and designs on the back. All three were similar, each one made with the finest of materials and clearly very expensive but where Severus had a snake, Aloysius had a stalking tiger and Rufus had a swooping eagle.  
'So that's why you asked me what animal I felt best represented Aloysius.' Rufus uttered, securing his cloak around his shoulders again and walking over to pull Severus into a warm and thankful hug.  
'I don't ever want to take it off Sev, it's so warm and comforting.' Aloysius agreed, joining in the grateful hug, head resting on Severus' shoulder comfortably.  
'I'd be honoured to see you wearing them often, they look really good on you two.' Severus uttered, amazed by how safe he felt surrounded by his trio-mates. 'Come on, we'd better head for breakfast soon. I just know Dumbledore has a gift for us.' he sighed, withdrawing reluctantly and heading for his room.  
'Oh yeah, he's ready for the final surprise. Tonight, when we're back here after dinner, sipping brandy and talking. That's when we'll do it, he'll be relaxed and happy after a wonderful day.' Aloysius whispered, whistling softly as he turned and vanishing back into his bedroom. Nodding slowly, Rufus refilled the water bowl near the fire and headed to get dressed.

Sweeping into the great hall together, Severus stayed half a step ahead of Aloysius and Rufus as they strode up past the Slytherin table, fur cloaks billowing and embroidered animals almost seeming to move. Turning to watch the trio, Draco glared and threw down his fine new travelling cloak and stood, taking in the details on the much nicer ones he could see. Flicking his hood back, Aloysius turned to Draco and smirked, eyeing the velvet cloak beside the young boy.  
'There are some things money can't buy Mr Malfoy. People are clamouring to support the newest hope for salvation. One day you might achieve such a thing but you'll need better cohorts than what you've got.' he uttered, continuing to walk even as Malfoy cursed his rotten luck and glared at the trio.

Hanging their cloaks on the rack in the corner, they settled at their places and relaxed, talking idly with their fellow adults as they enjoyed breakfast.  
'Merry Christmas.' Dumbledore nodded, sending a neatly wrapped present towards them. Catching it in both hands, Severus looked at the gaudy red and blue wrapping before turning his gaze back to the older wizard. 'It's for all of you, a symbol of what you share.' he explained, turning back to his breakfast.  
'Thanks Albus, that's really nice of you.' Rufus offered, grabbing one of the loose tails of ribbon.  
'Now, let's see what's in the parcel.' Aloysius added, fingers wrapping around another tail.  
'Careful, he's known for his slightly weird or embarrassing Christmas gifts.' Severus warned, grasping the third tail and pulling. The ribbons fell free easily, giving assess to the paper underneath. Tearing it free revealed a velvet box, their names curling beautifully across the top. Opening the box together, they all gasped at the amazing gifts inside.

Three glittering silver necklaces lay on a padded velvet cushion, each one sporting a large multifaceted emerald glimmering in the light. Reaching into the box, Rufus picked up the first necklace and unlocked the clasp before handing one end to Aloysius.  
'Let this be a symbol of the bond growing between us.' they whispered, securing the chain into place. Picking up the second piece, Severus stood and moved behind Aloysius, draping the chain around his neck.  
'Bound together day and night, three spirits forged into one.' he intoned, snapping the clasp closed and squeezing his shoulders.  
'Through the darkness and the light, we stand as one.' Aloysius replied, thumb tracing over the stone.  
'Bound together for eternity, no matter what we face.' Severus continued, placing the third stone around Rufus' throat.  
'Against evil in all forms, we stand as one.' Rufus nodded, gratefully accepting the gift.  
'No one can break us, no one will destroy us. Our magic weaves together, we are one.' Severus finished, returning to his seat.

The sharing of gifts and the manner in which it was done got the students whispering again, trying to work out what was going on between Severus, Aloysius and Rufus.  
'Perhaps it's time to share your secret. The students will never let what they've seen today slip into history.' Pomona suggested, watching her house whisper to their friends and gaze up at the trio.  
'Let them whisper, the secret will be revealed when the time is right. For now, we can still hide what is happening between us. When we can't hide anymore, then we will gather the students and tell them what is going on right under their noses. For now though, let them wonder about what is changing with their once hated Potions Professor.' Rufus replied, sipping his coffee and gazing out over the students and watching them squirm under his fierce gaze.

Releasing the emerald hanging around his throat, Aloysius went back to his breakfast and smiled, still thinking about the way Severus had reacted to his gifts that morning.  
"No one has ever showed me as much care and dare I say it, love, as you two do so frequently. I've never felt safer than I do when you're close, never happier then when I see you smile and hear you laugh. You two are amazing, the sun has finally returned to my dark life and it's been getting brighter as the bond grows within and through us all." Severus chuckled, a faint blush forming on his cheeks.  
"That was almost poetic Sev but don't think your sentiments are a one way street. Back then, we were considered to be sanctioned murderers, making a profit off the death and pain of others. I won't speak for Aloysius but I know you've given me a new reason to smile, laugh and hope for a brighter future. Don't ever doubt how much you mean to me, my courage was failing and my strength gone but when I looked into your terrified eyes for the first time, something changed. Suddenly I found a new courage, a new reason to get up and keep going despite everything. For that, I can never thank you enough." Rufus offered, risking a light brush of their knuckles as he gazed tenderly at Severus.  
"Before we got the first letter from Dumbledore, I'd just about given up on making it to see another month. Digging through dumpsters and stealing from little corner stores was no way to live and I knew it wouldn't sustain us much longer. I didn't believe the letter when it arrived, it felt too good to be true and then you revealed your location to us unintentionally and I started to hope that maybe, just maybe, you could bring about our salvation. No one else showed any interest in saving you, so I knew the job was ours alone. When you stood up and refused to let Dumbledore send us away, I knew you were someone special, someone to desperately cling to for salvation and protection. Even now, I still can't believe you stumbled so willingly into our lives and gave us the second chance we were so desperate for." Aloysius added, watching Severus blush again as he looked at his plate.  
"I guess we saved each other from the darkness." Severus managed, emotions kept hidden from everyone else clearly felt by those closest to him.  
"We sure did Sev, and we'll continue to do so until the end of time. We belong together, we have since that first day we met. We were all looking for something that was missing, a part of us wasn't there until that day. We ignored the first whispers of magic trying to guide us to the right path, resisted the pull drawing us closer until it could no longer be denied." Rufus agreed, picking up on stray thoughts filtering through and combining them into one heartfelt statement.

Rugged up against the chill air, everyone headed outside to enjoy the winter wonderland around the castle. Boards tucked under their arms, Aloysius and Rufus led many of the staff members around the school and down towards Hagrid's hut where they'd set up the most incredible snowboard run full of tight corners, sweeping bends and even a few small jumps before ending with a much larger one at the end. For safety, the end zone had been ringed with a slope of snow to catch anyone who couldn't come to a safe stop.

Standing tall at the top of the slope, Aloysius set his modified board down on the ground and planted his feet, gazing out along the course weaving and twisting down to where his mates were standing.  
'woohoo!' he cried, kicking off and whipping down the slope, falling back into another old hobby he'd given up when he'd joined the army. Now though, he could feel it all coming back to him as he kicked up the snow and laughed freely.  
'Go for it Aloysius, show us what you've got.' Rufus grinned, a matching board tucked under his arm as he waited his turn on the slopes.  
'Up and over we go!' Aloysius hollered, hitting the jump and soaring into the sky, flipping over backwards and sticking the landing. Smiling fit to burst, he turned and drifted towards Severus and Rufus, wiping a few traces of snow from his face as he stopped.  
'You've still got it Aloysius.' Rufus grinned, patting him on the back before jogging off to take his place at the top of the slope.  
'You willing to give this a go Sev?' Aloysius asked, releasing the charm holding his feet to the board and clearing the track.  
'Perhaps later Aloysius, I'm quite happy watching you two play and picking up on your joy.' Severus replied, watching as Rufus hopped off the crest and shot along the track, kicking up a wave of snow as he sailed down.

Hitting the jump and flicking around, Rufus spun laterally before touching down and swinging around to his mates, sheer joy written on his face as he stepped off his board.  
'Look out, Malfoy's gonna try and make the run.' Severus uttered, glancing to the top of the slope where sure enough, Draco was just locking on his new skis.  
'This is going to be hilarious.' Aloysius sniggered, wondering how far Draco would make it before stacking. 'Three sickles says he doesn't make it past the chicane.' he added, eyes locked on the tight area about halfway down the course.  
'Nah, he won't make it past the first jump.' Rufus countered, looking further up the slope to where a small pile of snow was already looking nicely worn.  
'He might make the jump but I reckon he's going to lose control and hit a tree.' Severus weighed in, hoping his prediction came true. He'd never been much of a betting man but this was a good chance to try his luck.

Puffing out his chest and just generally primping, Draco waited until all eyes were focused on him before pushing off and heading down the slope. He wobbled on the jump but somehow managed to stick his landing, stumbled on the chicane but didn't trip and then, right on the clear run to the big jump at the bottom, he balked, tripped and flew, tumbling head over heels before landing high in a tree, his skies tangled in the branches around him.  
'Pay up guys, I won that one.' Severus smirked, holding out his hands.  
'Only because I know you didn't help him fall.' Aloysius grumbled, fishing in his pockets and slapping three sickles in one hand.  
'How'd you pick it Sev?' Rufus asked, handing over his own coins.  
'Draco is much like his father, hates the unknown. Draco didn't realise the size of that jump from the top and didn't want to continue when he saw it up close. As for the tree, I just really wanted to see young Mr Malfoy embarrass himself in front of everyone still here for the holidays.' Severus chuckled, pocketing the coins and approaching the tree. 'Well, I supposed we'd better get him down.' he sighed, scratching his head as he gazed up at where Draco was tangled.  
'Here Rufus, give me a boost.' Aloysius chuckled, slipping his heavy cloak off and handing it to Severus before planting one foot in Rufus' cupped hands and starting up the tree.  
'Wouldn't it be easier to just levitate him down?' Minerva asked, approaching the tree.  
'Probably but this is more fun. Don't worry Minerva, I'll have him down soon.' Aloysius replied, moving quickly through the branches and up to where Malfoy was stuck.

Shaking his head to clear the fog, Draco realised his predicament and drew his wand, releasing the clamps and shaking his skis off to tumble to the ground. Drawing his own wand, Severus called the skis to hand and staked them in the ground before summoning the poles as well. Up in the tree, Draco realised his mistake and tried to hang on but he slipped off the branch and plummeted towards the ground. Bursting from the branches, Aloysius managed to snag one end of his long cloak, grunting as his shoulder was painfully wrenched around. A few seconds later, the weight was gone from his arm and he looked down, worried Draco had slipped from his grasp but when he looked for the boy, he found him right where he expected except for that rather large branch.  
'Oohh, sorry about that Draco. Reach up and take my hand, I've got you now.' Aloysius winced, glad no one else had seen what had just happened.  
'Everything okay Aloysius?' Severus called, moving into sight and looking up. 'Oohh, there goes the Malfoy family line.' he winced, recognising instantly what had happened.  
'Don't mind him Draco, just reach up and take my hand. Come on, it's going to be okay now.' Aloysius sighed, stretching out further and snagging Draco's reaching hand. Shifting his grip, he dragged the young boy up and wrapped his other arm around his chest before realising the mistake. 'Oh snap. Hold on Draco, this might get a little rough.' he warned, tightening his grip on the student as his legs slid on snow-slicked bark.  
'What's going on up there?' Dumbledore called, approaching the group.  
'It's all under control Headmaster.' Severus replied, drawing his wand and uttering something.

Flipping over, Aloysius kept his grip firm on Draco, protecting the young boy as they crashed through the branches together.  
'I've got you Draco.' Aloysius soothed, grunting softly as another branch lashed across his face.  
'Here they come.' Rufus called, adding the finishing touch to the soft snow drift at the bottom of the tree.  
'Hang on tight!' Aloysius warned, tucking his chin in and tightening his grip. Dropping past the last branch, they hit the snow drift and disappeared in a big white puff of snowflakes.  
'Aloysius! Draco!' Severus called, approaching the drift.

Sitting up slowly, Aloysius shook the snow from his hair and turned to Draco, curled up in the foetal position in the snow, clutching his aching genitals.  
'We're okay but I think Mr Malfoy needs to go to the hospital wing. Come on Draco, I've got you.' he grinned, gently gathering the young boy into his arms and rising.  
'You'll be fine soon Draco.' Severus added, draping Aloysius' cloak around his shoulders and drawing it around the shivering youth.  
'I'll drop your skis back in your dormitory Mr Malfoy.' Rufus nodded, gathering up the expensive looking gear and heading to find the protective case he'd seen Draco with earlier.  
'Just relax, you'll feel better in no time.' Aloysius soothed, making his way through the group and heading inside.  
'Thank you Mr Knight.' Draco uttered, relaxing slightly in the strong hold around him.  
'Quite alright Mr Malfoy. I should have warned you about the size of that particular jump.' Aloysius replied, smiling softly at the young boy in his arms. 'And don't worry, no one else saw your impact with the second tree branch. They'll never know about that, the staff kept the students well back until you were safely down.' he added, stepping inside and heading upstairs quickly.

Lunch was a quiet affair until Draco walked in, trying to hide as much as he could but he wasn't having much luck. All the remaining students turned to him and taunted him, proving the fact that they were never going to let him live that little accident down.  
"Come on, there's something we need to do." Severus sighed, getting to his feet and stepping down from the staff table.  
"Like what Sev?" Aloysius asked, already rising and following Severus.  
"I don't know whether you're aware of this or not but Draco Malfoy is my godson. I can't just sit back and watch these kids tear him apart like that." Severus explained, watching Draco try and ignore the taunts but he was struggling.  
"You kept that one hidden well, I had no idea. Lead on Sev, we're with you." Rufus grinned, joining Severus and Aloysius.  
"Come on, he needs help. No one is going to let him forget about this." Severus nodded, striding down towards the door where Draco was frozen.  
"Lunch in our suite?" Aloysius surmised, ready to catch but Severus hadn't wobbled in weeks.  
"My thoughts exactly. I've actually got a present for him, I usually get him something small but this year, I thought I'd make it from all of us." Severus confirmed, approaching Draco and smiling softly at him. 'Come with us, you don't have to put up with this anymore my dear godson.' he coaxed, knowing full well that the other students couldn't see what was going on.  
'Thank you godfather.' Draco replied, tucking in close against Severus and relaxing into the warmth wrapped around him as Severus flicked his heavy cloak around the trembling boy.  
'We've got a surprise for you too Draco.' Aloysius added, turning and slipping back into his usual place as they swept from the great hall.  
'We'll just be in our suite Headmaster.' Rufus called, knowing full well that the house-elves would hear him and have a meal for four ready when they arrived.  
'very well Rufus, and may I just say I am glad to see you are all taking such care of Mr Malfoy after his unfortunate accident.' Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling behind his glasses.  
'We all know what it's like to be in his shoes, the butt of all the jokes.' Aloysius shrugged, holding the door open and closing it quietly behind them.

Walking quietly beside his godfather, Draco tried to remember the last time he'd felt so safe and cared for but something else was niggling away at the back of his mind.  
'Godfather?' he uttered, lifting his gaze.  
'What's troubling you Draco?' Severus asked, looking down at him and smiling again.  
'What's going on between you, Mr Knight and Mr Jacobson?'  
'I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it from you Draco, you're just too smart. Have you ever heard of magically linked trios? Groups like Supporting Defensive Trios or Supporting Aggressive Trios?' Severus nodded, stroking his hair lightly.  
'No godfather, I've never heard of such things.' Draco replied, so safe and secure under that warm cloak, one loving arm draped around his shoulders tenderly.  
'They are very powerful groups, bound together in many ways. At first, when the bonds are new, nothing much happens but as the bonds strengthen, things start changing. The members of the trio can read each others thoughts, fell what they feel and communicate by sending thoughts directly to each other without the fear of anyone outside the trio hearing the conversation. They are very rare, the last one I know of was broken before I was born. It turns out that there is a new trio growing into their strengths, a trio that will become extremely dangerous when the time is right and all are ready for the final alterations.' Severus explained, so very proud of young Draco.  
'You? You're the new trio?'  
'That's right Draco, we are the newly formed trio. The bonds uniting us are still growing, weaving our magic together and forming a very dangerous group. No one knows for sure how it happens or why trios are formed, it's just another unexplained part of our history. We share our different lives and learn from each other, growing into a stronger team every day. As the days go by, we will continue to grow into an impressive trio and will finally learn which style is ours, aggressive or defensive.' Severus confirmed, comfortable telling Draco some of the story.  
"Why are you lying to him Sev?" Aloysius asked, once again grateful for their silent conversation ability.  
"I know Draco will tell his father, whether he means to or not. The more we keep from Lucius Malfoy, the better for all of us. The last thing we want is for Lucius to get wind of a new Supporting Defensive Trio in Hogwarts." Severus replied, free hand planted against the wall as they headed downstairs.  
"Makes good sense to me Sev. Now I understand why you show quiet favouritism with young Draco." Rufus grinned, ready to catch Severus if he wobbled but he doubted it would be necessary.

Reaching the heavy wooden door, Rufus gave the password and entered, setting the fire and turning on some soft music in the background. Slipping his cloak off, he sent it to the rack and paused to warm his hands by the crackling fire.  
'Take a seat Draco, lunch should be here any minute. Yes, hello Destiny.' Severus grinned, scooping the mewing cat up and letting her curl up against his chest.  
'You've got a cat now godfather?' Draco asked, settling on the couch and smiling as Severus sat beside him.  
'There are two more cats around here somewhere, Gypsy and Midnight will come out when they realise we're back.' Severus nodded, watching as Draco reached out and lightly stroked his fingers through thick black fur.  
'Speak of the devil, here comes Gypsy.' Aloysius chuckled, crouching and gathering the second cat up just as lunch appeared on the table. 'Come on, lunch is here and then you can open your surprise Draco.' he added, setting Gypsy down in the basket near the fire.  
'Godfather, how should I address your trio-mates?' Draco asked, getting to his feet and heading for the table.  
'In private, Uncle Aloysius and Uncle Rufus will be fine. In public, continue as you have been doing.' Severus instructed, settling Destiny in the basket before heading to wash his hands.  
'Alright Midnight, I see you there.' Rufus grinned, allowing the third cat up onto his shoulders for a few moments before putting her in the basket with the others.

Joining his almost family at the table, Severus couldn't wipe the proud grin off his face. Draco already looked so much happier and was talking with Aloysius about snowboarding and skiing.  
'You were doing great until you balked on that jump. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to everyone at one stage or another. How about we head back there later and talk you through the right way to approach something like that.' Aloysius offered, tying his hair back with a lazy flick of his wand and starting on lunch.  
'I'd like that Uncle Aloysius, thank you.' Draco nodded, remembering his manners as he sat and ate with his surrogate family.  
'I've never seen such good manners in a young boy.' Rufus praised, lightly stroking Draco's hair.  
'The Malfoy's have a reputation to maintain, good manners are essential from a young age.' Severus grinned, sipping his tea and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in the suite.  
'I can think of a few families who could stand to learn a few things from the Malfoy's.' Rufus muttered, remembering his own childhood of foul mouthed parents and insane siblings.  
'So can I Rufus, some more than others.' Severus agreed, still getting used to all the changes he could see in young Draco.  
'The one I'm thinking about could have definitely used some dignity.' Rufus shrugged, pushing out a few memories towards Severus.  
'Ah, now that is a family in desperate need of a firm father figure.' Severus remarked, flicking through the memories.  
'Tell me about it, that disaster is called the Jacobson family.' Rufus groaned, mentally handing over a family photo.  
'Such a fine man came from this mess? I suppose that makes your success all the more impressive.' Severus remarked, pushing the memories aside and turning his attention back to Draco. 'Don't worry about what the other students think. I know you're a special young man with amazing skills to offer.' he added, squeezing one shoulder lightly.  
'Thank you godfather. I will try and remember that.' Draco replied, managing a soft smile towards the once mean Potions Master.  
'Eat up Draco, we can talk more later.' Rufus grinned, enjoying the family moment even though he knew it was an unattainable goal.

Finishing their lunch, the contented group returned to the couch and settled, tea, coffee and pumpkin juice set out on the coffee table for them as Draco sunk into the armchair nearest his godfather.  
'Oh, so that's the way it is now Draco. You're too big and grand to come sit on your godfather's knee now.' Severus teased, calling a neatly wrapped present to his hand and passing it to Aloysius.  
'Of course not godfather.' Draco replied, leaving the armchair and practically flying into Severus' embrace.  
'Here's the young boy I watched grow up.' Severus grinned, holding the young boy close and stroking his hair.  
'Merry Christmas Draco.' Rufus offered as Aloysius handed the green and silver present over.  
'From all of us.' Severus uttered, pride filling his chest as Draco tore the paper away and lifted out his present.  
'Oh wow, it's just like yours. Thank you godfather. Thank you Uncle Rufus and you as well Uncle Aloysius.' Draco beamed, slipping off Severus' lap and slinging the black fur and velvet cloak over his shoulders.  
'You're most welcome Draco.' Rufus replied, motioning for Draco to turn around.  
'You look so dashing in your new cloak Draco, a true young gentleman.' Aloysius praised, touched by how happy Draco was in that perfect moment.  
'You look so like your father when he was young. A little kinder in the eyes perhaps but otherwise, quite similar.' Severus grinned, opening his arms and gathering Draco in close again.  
'It's amazing, I'll take good care of it, promise.' Draco offered, snuggling in closer and enjoying the comfortable moment.  
'I know you will Draco, you always take such care of the gifts I give you. Remember the toy Potions set I gave you for your ninth birthday?' Severus replied, content to relax between his trio-mates with Draco on his lap.  
'I remember godfather. I've still got it and carry a piece with me for luck.' Draco nodded, reaching for his shirt pocket.

Opening his hand, he revealed a little silver cauldron, intertwined snakes curling around the outside. Chuckling softly, Severus took the little cauldron between his fingers and held it up, turning it slowly as he remembered the sheer joy Draco had displayed upon receiving the gift.  
'And has it brought you any luck yet Draco?' he asked, handing the toy back gently.  
'I'm not sure godfather. I've certainly felt safer with this in my pocket.' Draco replied, returning the cauldron to his shirt pocket and patting it lightly.  
'That's what I like to hear Draco.' Severus nodded, closing his eyes and remembering the last time he'd held young Draco like this.  
'I love you godfather.' Draco muttered, drowsing in the loving embrace around him.  
'Love you too Draco, my one and only precious godson.' Severus replied, adjusting his hold and cradling Draco comfortably against his chest. 'Rest now dear boy, I'll protect you. You're safe in my arms, nothing can harm you now.' he whispered, toying with Draco's hair tenderly as the young boy yawned and snuggled closer.  
'Just for a little while.' he mumbled, drifting off to sleep peacefully, hands fisted into Severus' cloak.  
'That's it Draco, I've got you. Sleep dear boy, it's okay.' Severus grinned, his tender side coming out full force as he cradled the sleeping youth in his arms.  
"You really are a softie Sev." Rufus teased, wrapping one arm around Severus' shoulders and watching Draco sleep.  
"Oh leave off, he's family. This stays between us, no one else needs to know about my connection with Draco." Severus sighed, unable to tear his eyes off Draco as he slept, a small smile on his face.  
"But of course Sev, this is your business, a godfather and his godson." Aloysius nodded, drawing the warm cloak around Draco's legs, stretched out across his lap.

Shifting a little and rubbing his eyes, Draco stirred from his slumber and blinked, looking up at his loving godfather cradling him close.  
'How long was I asleep?' he asked, stretching and sitting up a little more.  
'About three hours. How do you feel?' Severus grinned, hoisting him up and summoning a goblet of pumpkin juice to his hand.  
'Much better godfather, thank you.' Draco quickly covered a yawn and sipped his drink, enjoying the chance to slowly wake up.  
'This simply won't do. You look a fright Draco, can't have the rest of the school seeing you like this.' Rufus sighed, flicking his wand and catching the comb that flew his way. Shuffling around, he gently ran the comb through silky locks until they were sitting flat again.  
'There you go, as handsome as ever. I'm honestly surprised I haven't heard more girls whispering about how handsome you are.' Aloysius agreed, grabbing a napkin from the table and handing it to Draco before subtly indicating his chin. Blushing a little, Draco wiped the drool from his chin and resettled, head on Severus' shoulder.  
'You've heard girls call me handsome?' he asked, shocked by this little bit of news.  
'Oh yeah, girls from every house. Some of the older ones are a bit annoyed you're so young but they'll get over it in time I suppose.' Aloysius nodded, casting his mind back to a couple of conversations he'd overheard.  
'Father always told me I was going to grow up to be a handsome man. I didn't think the girls noticed me, despite my posturing.' Draco sighed, finishing his drink and reaching to put it on the coffee table. Taking the goblet from unresisting fingers, Rufus guided Draco back before setting the goblet down on the table.  
'They notice you alright Draco, but you scare them off with your arrogance. Relax a little and see where that takes you.' Rufus suggested, getting up and changing the CD to something more festive.  
'I'm surprised you stayed for Christmas Draco.' Severus remarked, wondering if there was a problem back home.  
'Mother and father were called to Paris for urgent business that didn't concern me so I was told to stay.' Draco shrugged, pulling away and sliding to his feet. 'I suppose I should go, people will be wondering where I disappeared to.' he sighed, not really wanting to leave but he knew he had to go.  
'Yeah, I suppose you should, don't want to raise any awkward questions. You be a good boy Draco, I'll be keeping my eye on you and reporting back to your father.' Severus nodded, getting up and drawing Draco into a loving hug.  
'I will godfather, I'll behave and study hard.' Draco promised, sinking into the warm arms around his shoulders for a few moments.  
'I know you will Draco. Remember, no one else at Hogwarts needs to know about our relationship. As far as anyone else knows, you're my favourite student, nothing more and nothing less. It's for your protection, I dread to think of what the students would call you if they knew I was your godfather.' Severus grinned, taking a knee and gazing lovingly at Draco.  
'I'll remember godfather, don't worry.' Draco grinned, drawing away slowly.  
'See you around Draco.' Rufus called, finishing his coffee and stretching.  
'Bye Uncle Rufus, bye Uncle Aloysius.' Draco waved before turning and leaving the suite, cloak wrapped around his body.  
'He's a good kid that one.' Aloysius remarked, yanking Severus back down beside them and propping his feet up comfortably.  
'So long as his father's darkness does not continue to infect him.' Severus sighed, rolling up his sleeve and looking at the tattoo on his left forearm.  
'He's a bring young kid, he'll be fine Sev.' Rufus grinned, adjusting the chain around his neck and running his thumb over the emerald dangling against his chest.

Heavy eyes drooping, Severus gazed at the fire and sipped his brandy, feeling more content then he had in more years than he'd care to think about. Beside him, Aloysius was gazing at several muggle photos, thumb tracing over familiar faces as he let his mind drift to his family and the fight they'd had. On his other side, Rufus was just finishing up a letter, the recipient unknown as he sighed the page and blew lightly on it to help the ink dry.  
'Writing home big man?' Aloysius asked, lifting his gaze from the fire in front of them.  
'Yeah, I figured it was time I let mom and dad know I'm still alive. They probably won't even notice there's no stamp or postmark, if they even read this.' Rufus shrugged, folding up the letter and tucking it into the waiting envelope.  
'Why do you think I don't bother writing home? Dad and I had a massive fight the day before I joined up, he didn't want me risking my life for corrupt politicians or something like that. Mom's already gone, she died when I was just a boy so I know there's no one waiting desperately for news on my survival.' Aloysius sighed, sending the photos back to his bedroom with a flick of his wand.  
"Think he's ready?" Rufus asked, putting his letter safely on the mantle until he took it to the owlery the next morning.  
"Yeah, he's totally relaxed and a little sleepy. It's now or never." Aloysius replied, sitting up a little more.

Returning to the couch, Rufus turned a little and sunk into the corner before reaching out and drawing Severus in against his side. Taking the glass from his hand, Aloysius shuffled closer and pressed in against Severus, shoving aside thoughts of his family and focusing on the pale man between them.  
'What what are you doing?' Severus asked, struggling for a moment until Rufus gently captured his wrists and held them down.  
'Shhh, just relax Sev. You're lonely, you can't hide your feelings from us. It's okay, we want this with you Sev, if you'll have us.' Rufus whispered, nuzzling his neck lightly.  
'I '  
'Just let go Sev, we'll take care of you. Shhh, it's going to be fine, we won't hurt you.' Aloysius soothed, pressing in closer and resting one hand on Severus' chest gently.  
'Are you sure you don't want someone better?' Severus uttered, severely distracted by the light touches running up his arms and across his chest.  
'No, you're perfect for us. What makes you think you're not good enough to be where you are right now?' Aloysius grinned, unbuttoning his jacket and shirt, revealing several ugly scars across his chest.  
'You're so amazing Sev, scars and all. Every scar tells a story, good and bad, each one a part of your history. Wear them with pride, you have nothing to be ashamed of.' Rufus added, nipping one ear lightly before releasing his own jacket and shirt to display an ugly burn scar over his collarbone.  
'I'm not sure this is a good idea.' Severus sighed, slumping back against Rufus and closing his eyes.  
'Life isn't worth living if you don't take risks Sev. Let us take care of you, we truly do want only the best for you. Relax, let us show you how much we care about you. It's alright, we won't do anything to hurt you.' Rufus coaxed, drawing Severus in tight and pressing soft kisses to his neck as he started working on the multitude of buttons down his front.  
'It's okay to be a little nervous Sev, happens to the best of us. Just relax and let go, we won't let you fall.' Aloysius coaxed, pressing closer and trailing his fingers along one pale cheek.  
'Oh Merlin.' Severus whispered, grabbing fistfuls of Aloysius' jacket and yanking him closer. Rufus grunted softly at the doubled weight against him and pried his hands free, working on his own buttons as he watched the other two making out passionately against him.

Panting softly as Aloysius pulled back, Severus turned to look up at Rufus, reaching out to trail one finger across the old burn scar on his shoulder and chest. Growling low in his throat, Rufus wrapped one hand in Severus' hair and pulled him into a deep kiss, tongues duelling for dominance.  
'Oh fuck now that's hot.' Aloysius gasped, battling with buttons until he managed to throw his top layers aside. Reaching out, he got stuck into Severus' buttons, working them through quickly. Pushing the heavy cloth aside, he shifted to his knees and leant in again, tongue tracing over Severus' scared chest before he took one nipple into his mouth and sucked gently. Back arching, Severus howled into Rufus' mouth, right hand coming down to tangle in thick black locks, holding Aloysius close.  
'So beautiful.' Rufus panted, eyes glazed with lust as he looked down at Severus, writhing slowly in his uncomfortable position.  
"Bedroom." Aloysius grunted, not willing to give up his prize now that Severus was half undressed.  
'Sounds good to me.' Rufus agreed, deftly prying Aloysius loose before getting to his feet.  
'By the time we're done with you, you won't remember your name Sev.' Aloysius breathed, licking his ear lightly.  
'Merlin, I'm a dead man.' Severus shuddered, helpless to resist as the younger pair pulled him into the master bedroom.

Groaning softly, Severus twitched and snuggled down further into the warmth surrounding him. He blearily registered a solid weight against his chest and a soft sensation whispering across the back of his neck. Cracking one eye open tiredly, he took in the handsome features slack in sleep and smiled, brushing a few stray brown strands out of Rufus' face as he slept peacefully, left arm draped over Severus' waist. Turning slightly, Severus looked over his shoulder and smiled, amazed by how sweet Aloysius looked there, glasses askew on his face as he snored softly. Snuggling down into the loving arms around him, Severus cast a silent, wandless spell and lifted Aloysius' glasses clear, sending them to the bedside table before settling down comfortably again.

A few minutes later, Rufus stirred and called his wand to hand, setting the fire with a flick of his wrist before settling back again and snuggling in closer. Brushing Severus' hair back out of his face, he smiled and watched the older man sleep, a soft smile etched across slack features.  
'So amazing, I love you Sev.' he uttered, thumb caressing his cheek lightly.  
'Morning Rufus.' Aloysius mumbled, reaching for the bedside table and blindly fumbling for his glasses.  
'I can't believe he's here, right where he belongs now.' Rufus grinned, sitting up a little and leaning across to share a slow, tender kiss with Aloysius.  
'Now we just have to keep him, no matter what life throws our way.' Aloysius nodded, drawing back slowly and leaning back against the headboard comfortably.  
'I don't think that's going to be a problem. I love him, I'll do whatever it takes to keep Sev safe and tucked right where he is now.' Rufus declared quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping man between them. 'I love you too Aloysius, don't be forgetting that.'  
'I haven't forgotten Rufus, I still love you. He looks so peaceful, an angel sinner. Sleep Sev, safe in the knowledge I love you.' Aloysius agreed, loving fingers carding through thick black hair as soft as silk.

Stretching contentedly as he eased up from his sleep again, Severus blinked and leaned into the light fingers against his scalp.  
'Hey there handsome. Finally decided to come back to us then?' Rufus grinned, reaching down and squeezing one hand gently.  
'What did we do last night?' Severus asked, rolling onto his back and gazing up at the pair.  
'You don't remember any of the fun we had?' Aloysius chuckled, hand resting on his chest lightly.  
'The aim was to make you forget your name, not everything we did last night.' Rufus added, shuffling back down and trailing his fingers up one creamy thigh.  
'Oh Merlin.' Severus groaned, memories pouring back into his mind as Aloysius and Rufus expertly played with his body, reigniting the flames of passion.  
'There we go, I knew you'd remember in time.' Rufus whispered, leaning in to steal a loving kiss from unresisting lips. 'Ugh, morning breath.' he added, drawing away slowly.  
'That was a forgone conclusion Rufus. C'mere you, our amazingly sexy mate.' Aloysius chuckled, flipping Severus over easily and pinning him down before kissing him senseless.  
'I'm going to take a shower and put the kettle on.' Rufus grinned, flicking the covers back. He was pulled up short by two strong hands wrapped around his arm, both calloused and worn but Rufus could still tell who was gripping him where.  
'Stay right where you are.' Severus panted, tugging Rufus back down beside him.

Striding into the great hall, the sated trio took their seats and glanced out over the students, ready for another day of whatever came their way. Severus noticed Minerva was staring at them and cocked one eyebrow elegantly, the question easy to see in his gaze.  
'Would I be correct in assuming your neck is just as well decorated at theirs?' she asked, indicating the collection of hickeys on show where the collars didn't reach high enough.  
'I wouldn't be surprised if I had a few more. I wasn't really looking at my hickeys this morning, I was a little busy trying to get ready.' Severus shrugged, releasing a few buttons and folding his high collar back out of the way.  
'My word, you certainly did get attacked.' Minerva uttered, taking in the sheer number of marks adorning his pale skin.  
'So you've finally taken your trio bond to the next stage? Good, very good.' Dumbledore remarked, looking the trio over without seeming to be doing anything.  
'It felt right I couldn't have resisted if I tried.' Severus shrugged, smiling warmly at his mates and relaxing into the soft words whispering between them all.  
'The bond will only grow stronger because of this. Friendship is a strong base for a trio bond like yours but love makes it even more powerful.' Dumbledore offered, going back to his breakfast. 


	6. Chapter 6

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
TAKING TO THE AIR *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

'I just had a thought.'  
'Uh-oh, this could be dangerous.'  
'Be nice Aloysius. Go on Rufus, what's on your mind?'  
'Well, the four houses all have Quidditch teams why don't the teachers put one together? I'm sure there would be some way to make it fair for staff to compete against the students.'  
'What's brought this on Rufus?' Rolanda asked, regarding the trio kindly.  
'I was watching the Slytherin team practise yesterday and thought it could be fun. I completely understand if no one else is interested, I just wondered why.' Rufus shrugged, left hand vanishing under the tablecloth so he could trail his fingertips idly along Severus' thigh.  
'I think it's more the fact no one ever thought it was a good idea before now. Students versus teachers, hardly seems fair but in reality, we'd be on pretty level pegging. We have the advantage of experience and wisdom but the students are younger and more agile. Personally, I'm all for the idea but I'm not sure how many other members of staff would get involved.' Rolanda grinned, warming to the idea as she thought it over.  
'You can count me in Rolanda; I never got a chance to play when I was young as I'm sure you remember.' Severus nodded, quite comfortable with his collar open to display several fresh hickeys on his throat.  
'I remember Severus; you were looking quite promising until Milligan sent that bludger right at you. I still think you were lucky Malfoy was there, could have been a nasty fall if not for his quick reactions.' Rolanda agreed, picking up her goblet.  
'Be nice if he'd let me forget about that day.' Severus muttered, lowering his gaze.  
'I'd be interested in trying out too, not sure how good I'd be but it's worth a shot. You never know, old skills half forgotten might come in handy.' Aloysius added, wondering if anything he'd done before would adequately prepare him for Quidditch.  
'Then it's settled. I've got some time today, I'll see who else is interested and if we've got enough people, I'll let you know when the tryouts are.' Rolanda nodded, turning back to her breakfast.  
"Would you stop that Rufus?" Severus hissed, leg twitching in an attempt to shake those questing fingers off.  
"Why would I want to do that? You're just too much fun to torment like this." Rufus chuckled, fingers moving higher.  
"After last night and this morning, you'll be lucky to get anything out of him Rufus." Aloysius smirked, sipping his coffee.  
"I could possibly rally for one more round. Just don't go expecting too much, I've got a few years on you two." Severus snorted, immensely grateful for the long tablecloth hiding their risqu actions from the students.  
"You're not the only one who needs to rally after last night and that fantastic round this morning. I might not be as old as you but my ass needs a break." Aloysius sighed, draining his coffee mug and flicking his hair back behind his shoulder.  
"As tempting as this all sounds, I've got class work to complete. If you two need to work off some steam, by all means but there is a pile of forgotten essays on my desk that need to be graded for our first class of the day." Severus sighed, finishing his tea and rising before snagging his half-eaten piece of toast and sweeping from the hall.  
"I suppose we'd better give him a hand. He'd never forgive us if we indulged without him." Rufus shrugged, whipping up a quick bacon sandwich before following Severus.

Three weeks after Rufus proposed the idea, the first staff against students game was organised for house pride and the Quidditch Cup at the end of the year. Dumbledore had agreed to permit the staff to compete for the cup, giving the students an added incentive to win. The staff members playing didn't really care about winning the cup; they were more looking to teach without seeming to be doing anything apart from play.

Changing quickly, Severus smoothed out his rich purple Quidditch robes and yanked his gloves on before settling his goggles into position and grabbing his broomstick and bat.  
'Everyone ready?' Rolanda asked, broomstick in hand and proudly bearing her position across her back.  
'Let's do this.' Aurora replied, tying her hair back quickly.  
'Lead the way Rolanda.' Minerva nodded, quite looking forward to their first game as a team.  
'Who are we playing?' Septima asked, making sure her shin guards were properly secured.  
'Gryffindor: Wood, Johnson, Bell, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley and Potter.' Rufus listed, buckling his arm guards into position and rolling his shoulders.  
'Oh great, up against the Weasley twins, this could get ugly.' Aloysius groaned, snugging his goggles down and catching his bat when Severus flicked it towards him.  
'Just don't hurt anyone.' Rolanda sighed, giving her team one last look over before heading for the entrance to the pitch.

Mounting up and heading skyward, the fifth team had a chance to look over the students and chuckle at the scene below them. Quite a few of the students were wearing purple, even those in Gryffindor were getting behind them. Slipping into formation, the teachers swept around the pitch together, relaxed and confident as the rest of the school watched them fly together and cheered them on happily. Emerging from the other locker room, the Gryffindor team circled and moved into position, eyeing the teachers and trying to work out their direct opponents. Breaking formation and turning, the staff team headed for their positions, dropping in front of the stunned Gryffindors so they could read the positions written on their backs.  
'You've got to be kidding, I'm against Jacobson.' Oliver Wood groused, staring in shock at the biggest man on the team.  
'What are you complaining about? I'm up against McGonagall.' Angelina Johnson sighed, shaking her head sadly.  
'I'll focus on Sinistra.' Katie Bell offered, game face on as the sat there opposite Aurora.  
'Which leaves me with Vector.' Alicia Spinnet nodded, trying to relax but she knew this game would be hard.  
'Trade you; I've got to go up against Snape.' Fred groaned, hanging his head as Severus glared at him through his goggles.  
'Are you sure that's Snape and not Knight?' George shrugged, looking at the near identical pair perched on their brooms, bats held firmly in their right hands.  
'Which ever one I've got to contend with, this is going to be a rough game.' Fred shrugged, looking up towards Harry. 'But then, I do feel sorry for Harry, he's up against Madam Hooch.'  
'He'll be okay, he's got youthful energy on his side.' Wood replied, fingers flexing on his broomstick.

Falling into position, the staff swapped confident glances and nodded, running through the plays they'd discussed and sizing up the opposition. Smirking faintly, Severus watched Fred and George Weasley as they tried to work out his exact identity.  
"It's working Aloysius, the Weasley boys can't work out who they're up against."  
"This is going to be priceless Sev, they won't know what hit them. These goggles were a great idea, I can see without worrying about losing them."  
"Not to mention the fact they really keep everyone guessing as to our identities. I'm just glad I was able to charm mine so the lens colour doesn't distort my vision."  
"Feh, after wearing them all your life, you learn to adjust."  
"Here we go guys, Pomona is about to release the balls." Rufus cut in, backing up a little more as the Bludgers and Snitch took to the air. "Good luck you two, keep those bloody things back." He added, heading for the goals as Aloysius and Severus moved into their covering patterns.  
"Don't worry about us Rufus, you just focus on keeping Gryffindor scoreless as much as possible." Severus replied, bringing his bat around and belting one Bludger back towards Bell.  
"Leave it to me Sev." Rufus chuckled, slotting into place and daring the Gryffindor Chasers to try and get the Quaffle past him.

Ducking one of the Bludgers, Minerva swung over and dangled upside down from her broom to snag the Quaffle before getting back upright and charging away, Aurora and Sinistra moving into place to offer support. Pivoting sharply, Aloysius caught the same Bludger and sent it whipping back the other way to whistle past Oliver's ear. Taking advantage of his distraction, Minerva pitched the Quaffle through the nearest hoop and grinned as she turned and raced away.  
'Nicely played Minerva.' Severus called, spinning clear of the second Bludger and belting it to Aloysius who in turn knocked it up towards Harry.  
"Uh guys, I could use some cover here!" Rufus howled, diving towards the ground with a Bludger on his tail.  
"I'm on my way Ruf!" Aloysius replied, leaning forward and charging.  
"I've got to get the other away from Rolanda." Severus added, pulling up and shooting towards the older woman.

Whipping around on his broomstick, Aloysius put all his strength into the swing and sent the troublesome Bludger back towards Angelina. The force of the blow tipped him off balance and he slipped off his broom, hanging below by one hand.  
"Aloysius!" Rufus cried, reaching for him desperately.  
"I'm okay Rufus, just get back up to the hoops. I can recover but we need you up there!" Aloysius replied, tucking his bat into his belt and grabbing the broomstick with his now free hand. Shifting his weight, he pulled out of the dive and soared, flipping the broomstick over and rolling until he was back in his seat. Stunned by this show of skill, the students cheered wildly for their new hero. Pulling his bat out of his belt, Aloysius neatly sent one of the Bludgers ricocheting back towards George Weasley.  
"Nicely done Aloysius, I thought you were a goner there." Severus praised, letting rip towards Alicia and diving to avoid the returning shot from Fred.  
"Takes more than that to put me on my ass. Focus Sev, we can go over the game later." Aloysius shrugged, pulling up and angling for the Bludger threatening to knock Aurora from her broom.  
"Right, we've still got to win this." Severus nodded, almost standing his broom on end as he went after George, busy trying to line up a shot on Rufus.

Sharp gaze scanning the skies, Rolanda spotted what she wanted and rolled right, guiding her broom higher before pulling the nose down and diving. Flipping over so she was hanging upside down, she reached out and stole the Snitch from right under Harry's nose. Turning back up the right way, she held the Snitch high overhead and grinned as Severus and Aloysius drew their wands and forced the Bludgers back to the box and Katie threw Minerva the Quaffle.  
'Now that's what I'm talking about.' Rufus grinned, catching the Quaffle and dropping it into the box.  
'A modified Sloth Grip Roll if I'm not mistaken hey Rolanda.' Severus chuckled, touching down and pulling his goggles off.  
'Not too heavily modified, but it was the best option given the situation.' Rolanda shrugged, returning the Snitch to the box and running one hand through her hair.  
'Well played Madam Hooch, I never saw you coming.' Harry offered, extending his hand.  
'Don't feel bad about that one Harry, you're still learning. In time you'll get a handle on all kinds of sneaky little tricks like that.' Rolanda replied, shaking his hand warmly and ruffling his hair.  
'I've never seen a Keeper protect his goals so easily. We never stood a chance.' Wood grinned, shaking Rufus' hand and re-evaluating the bigger man.  
'Nothing to it Wood, you just need to do a bit more growing.' Rufus teased, ruffling his hair and turning back to catch the falling bats.  
'Steady now Severus, no point making a fool of yourself again.' Minerva uttered, watching him land and wobble for a moment.  
'It's all under control Minerva.' Severus smirked, releasing the grip on his broomstick and letting it fall before stepping aside and picking it up.  
'Well that's one way to do it.' Aurora remarked, dismounting and clapping Rolanda on the shoulder.  
'Party in the teacher's lounge?' Septima asked, draping one arm around Aloysius' shoulders.  
'Sounds like a plan to me Septima.' Severus nodded, tucking in against Aloysius so no one could mistake their connection.

Crawling onto the bed after the party, Severus groaned and buried his face in his pillow as his muscles protested to any movement at all. Tugging his boots off, Aloysius shed his cloak and perched on the side of the bed, rubbing his back lightly.  
'I'm too old to be racing around on a broomstick like that.' Severus muttered, turning his head to look back at Aloysius.  
'I won't hear it Sev, you're just out of practise. Give it time and you'll be fine, your muscles just need time to adjust.' Aloysius replied, guiding Severus onto his back and grabbing his wand. A muttered spell had the infuriating buttons undone and the heavy garments discarded on the floor beside the bed.  
'Not now Aloysius, I'm in no fit '  
'Just relax, this will help you feel better. It might hurt a bit at the start but I'll try to be gentle.' Aloysius cut him off, easing him back over and adjusting the pillows.  
'What are you oh Merlin.' Severus groaned, feeling Aloysius' weight settle across his hips and gentle hands stroking over his back.  
'That's it, just relax. I'll make that nasty pain go away.' Aloysius whispered, strong hands running over pale skin. "Rufus where's that massage oil you picked up last week?"  
"It's in the bedside table. I'll be there in a moment." Rufus replied, enjoying a hot shower.  
"Take your time, Sev's wound up pretty tight." Aloysius chuckled, continuing the gentle strokes with his left hand as he drew his wand again and opened the drawer before calling the bottle to his hand.

Setting his wand on the blanket, Aloysius tucked the bottle in his trouser pocket as he pulled off his jacket and shirt, tossing them aside. Digging out the bottle again, he poured some of the oil into his hand and warmed it between his palms before going back to caressing tense muscles. Groaning softly, Severus let his eyes drift closed as he started to enjoy the loving hands on his back, working out the tension and untangling hard knots deep in the muscle.  
'Well don't you two just make a stunning sight.' Rufus grinned, leaning in the bathroom door with one towel slung low around his waist and another draped around his neck.  
'Look who's talking. If I wasn't so busy here, I'd be over there worshipping at the Temple of Rufus.' Aloysius shot back, licking his lips before forcibly tearing his gaze away and working on a particularly tight area in Severus' lower back.  
'Temple of I'm too old for this sort of torture.' Severus groaned, lifting his head for a moment and taking in the luscious sight across the room. 'Easy Aloysius, are you trying to break my back?'  
'Sorry Sev, there's no easier way to do this. By the feel of this knot, it's been here for more than just the last three weeks.' Aloysius replied, leaning over to brush a tender kiss across shoulder before continuing to gently work the knot out.  
'How is this torture?' Rufus asked, towelling off his hair as he walked over to settle on the edge of the bed.  
'Come on, I'm pushing forty-five and I've got two amazing lovers who seem determined to drive me stark raving loco. Not that I'm complaining but oh, right there Aloysius I don't bounce back like you two can.' Severus sighed, groaning appreciatively when Aloysius hit a very tight muscle.  
'So that's what's bugging you. Honestly Sev, you could have just come out and said something. I can think of a few solutions straight off the top of my head.' Rufus grinned, stretching out on the bed and trailing his fingers through Severus' hair.  
'Rufus, no Viagra or horny goat weed.' Aloysius sighed, automatically knowing where Rufus was going in his mind.  
'Do I want to know?' Severus asked, lifting his head and glancing back at the pair.  
'No, you don't want to go there. I tried Viagra once, I was hard for most of the bloody day.' Aloysius groaned, pushing that image back into its box and working on another knot.  
'If I want something like that, I know a few potions that will do the trick. That's not the point Rufus, I just ' sighing softly, Severus burrowed back into the pillows to hide his shame, not sure how to ask for what he wanted.  
'You just what Sev? C'mon, talk to us, what's bugging you?' Rufus coaxed, shuffling closer.

Leaning forward, Aloysius ran slick hands up and over Severus' shoulders, leaning in to nip one ear lightly. Whimpering softly, Severus kept perfectly still as Aloysius kept moving until he was stretched out full length atop the older man.  
'Is this what you want Sev? To be held firm and denied your release as you're forced to watch Rufus and I doing all manner of filthy things to each other. Do you want us to bind you to a chair and leave you hard and needy as we relax or take a nap? Is that what you're looking for Sev?' he whispered, nipping his ear again and making sure to pin the older man properly.  
'Yes, make me forget. Please, don't let me think for a while.' Severus nodded, relaxing under the weight spread out on his back.  
'Just relax, we'll take care of you but not today. You need to recover from Quidditch, once you're back to your best, we'll play this game.' Aloysius promised, sitting up and going back to his massage.

If anyone else ever saw the sight down in the dungeons, they probably would have wound up at St Mungo's for severe hallucinations and mental trauma. But to the three men safely hidden behind the solid wooden door, life was perfect. Days turned to weeks and they had a routine now, a routine that lightened the mood and kept Severus happy and much more relaxed. Shedding his heavy clothes at the end of each school day, Severus would change into simple black trousers and a white button down shirt, charm his hair back out of his eyes and spend much of the evening seated on a soft cushion on the floor, leaning against the couch and relishing the light hand running through his hair as he did all manner of menial tasks. It didn't matter what he was doing, the simple act of doing something dull for those who loved him was enough to calm his raging mind and bring peace to his heart.

This particular evening found him with Rufus' Quidditch robes over his lap as he carefully patched up a nasty tear from their last match against Slytherin. He'd been doing great but whilst dodging a runaway Bludger, his robe had snagged on something and torn right down the back. No one was sure what the robe had caught on, the area had been checked and nothing located but it really didn't matter to anyone. Adjusting the fabric across his lap, Severus bowed his head and continued to sew, shoulders drooping and his old pains forgotten as he willingly lost his mind to the monotony. Stretched out on the couch, Rufus studied his Transfiguration text book and tapped his foot along with the music playing softly in the background as he drew his fingers through Severus' hair, drawing comfort from the simple action. Curled up in the armchair, Aloysius watched the pair and smiled, relief flooding his mind at the beautiful sight. Sighing softly and locking away concerning thoughts, he turned back to his Charms homework and smiled softly. Wand balanced lightly in his fingers, he read the lesson again and gave it a shot, smile widening as a flock of birds shot from his wand, twittering and fluttering about.  
'Nice one Aloysius, they're so pretty.' Rufus praised, watching the little bluebirds fluttering around his head.  
'It's hard to think something like this could be dangerous but when used in conjunction with oppungo, these sweet little birds become a weapon.' Aloysius remarked, careful not to cast the spell, wanting to enjoy the birds for a bit longer.  
'They'd be great for entertaining young kids.' Rufus chuckled, thoughts drifting to old dreams left forgotten in the past.  
'I still think it's a shame you'll never have a family Rufus, you'd make a great dad. Unlike me I screwed that one up royally.' Aloysius sighed, holding up his hand and chuckling as one little bird landed on his finger.  
'What have I told you about thinking those thoughts? It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known that was going to happen.' Rufus growled, soothing Severus and snorting with laughter as one of the birds landed on his head.  
'Yeah, I know. I'll be okay Rufus, I've got everything I could ask for right here.' Aloysius replied, making the birds disappear and tucking his wand away.

Finishing his careful work, Severus unfolded from his position on the floor and held up the robes, checking his repair work from a different angle. Satisfied with his work, he turned and carried the robes through to the bedroom, hanging them up beside the others in the corner. Checking the uniforms over again, he made sure everything was in good order before returning to his place to await his next task. Not looking up from his reading, Rufus returned to his previous activity, enjoying the silken strands against his skin.  
'Why don't you make us a cuppa Sev?' Aloysius asked, putting his Charms book aside and standing. Nodding once, Severus rocked to his feet again and padded over to put the kettle on, comforted in a way he couldn't explain.  
'I certainly wouldn't say no to a hot coffee, this is hard slog.' Rufus sighed, marking his spot and putting his book down.  
'I swear Minerva gets a real kick out of giving us so much homework.' Aloysius agreed, grabbing one of the leather thongs from the mantle and tying his hair back off his neck.  
'She's not the only one. But then, we have missed out on a hell of a lot. I guess all the staff here just want to help us catch up on what we should have learned as kids.' Rufus shrugged, stretching contentedly before walking over to pull Aloysius tight against his chest.  
'If we'd come here as kids, I've got a feeling the bond we share would never have come to fruition.' Aloysius uttered, leaning back against the taller man and relaxing.  
'Yeah, you're probably right there. But then, just look at all the experiences we've had without even knowing we were special. Admit it, you wouldn't trade our time together in the army and Bounty Hunting circles for anything.' Rufus agreed, leaning down to nibble of Aloysius' neck lightly.  
'There are some things I'd trade away if I could.' Aloysius confessed, head falling to the side as Rufus redecorated his neck.  
'Like what?' he asked, pulling away and returning to the couch.  
'Well, this for a start.' Aloysius uttered, pulling his shirt off and indicating the large scar running down his side. 'And this one too.' he added, fingers drifting over a smaller scar on his chest, just near his collarbone.  
'You are impossible Aloysius, you know that? C'mere, you're worrying about stupid things again.' Rufus sighed, yanking Aloysius down beside him and curling around the smaller man as they stretched out on the couch together.  
'It's not stupid Rufus, I could have been killed.' Aloysius replied, taking his coffee and reaching out to play with Severus' hair as he sat and gazed into the flames.  
'But you weren't, so why worry about it? You're still around and kicking the snot out of bad guys and like always, I'm right here with you. Why stress about what could have happened? We've got a great place here, safe behind thick stone walls and for the first time in years, free to be who we are inside.' Rufus grinned, thrilled to hold Aloysius close as they enjoyed their coffee and the quiet peace that came with true happiness. 


	7. Chapter 7

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
SECOND YEAR *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Trying to ignore the way people were staring after them, Severus cursed his rotten luck and hobbled down Diagon Alley, damaged hip aching severely after a nasty fall during the summer holidays. Half a pace behind him, Rufus and Aloysius were grinning and shaking their heads at the snappish antics, wondering just how long they would have to put up with this bad attitude.  
'Come on Sev, relax.' Rufus uttered, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder lightly.  
'I'm trying Rufus but by Merlin that hurts.' Severus sighed, slowing his stride and slumping the moment Rufus and Aloysius were up beside him.  
'You don't have to go it alone Sev, we're right here. Drink this and chill out, we've got all day to get back to Hogwarts and we don't need to catch the train.' Aloysius grinned, reaching into one of his many pockets and pressing a painkilling potion into his hand.  
'I need to rest, this is killing me guys.' Severus whispered, draping one arm around Aloysius' shoulders.  
'We've got you Sev, its okay. Just relax; we'll never let you fall.' Rufus chuckled, supporting the older man gently as they walked down the street and took a table outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Fingers trailing through soft black locks for a moment, Rufus turned and headed into the store to get them all a treat.

Throwing the potion back and relaxing, Severus looked down the alley and froze, immediately recognising the tall blonde walking along towards Flourish & Blotts.  
'Leave the ice cream Rufus, we have a situation. There's something I've wanted to do for nearly thirty years and I think I might have my chance.' he called, easing to his feet.  
'Sorry Florean, another time.' Rufus sighed, glancing back over his shoulder as he left the store.  
'What's this all about Sev?' Aloysius asked, falling into his usual spot to Severus' left.  
'You understand soon guys, just trust me on this and don't get involved.' Severus grinned, looking back at the pair as they walked.

Taking up a position just near Flourish & Blotts, they waited patiently and listened to the conversation just inside the store.  
'You must be very brave to mention his name or very foolish.'  
'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.'  
'And you must be Miss Granger. Yes, Draco's told me all about you and your parents. Muggles, aren't they?'  
"Wait for it, it's coming soon. Lucius never could stand muggles and mudbloods, half-casts. You know, mother was a witch, father was a muggle and all that garbage." Severus uttered, moving closer to the shop front and listening intently.  
"Why do I get the feeling this is a bad idea?" Aloysius sighed, sticking in close to Severus and trying not to draw attention.  
"A grudge held for thirty years, of course this is a bad idea." Rufus replied, rolling his eyes in disbelief. "Normally I'd want no part in this but since it's you guys, I've got your backs." He added, joining the group and scanning the street.  
'Well well, Weasley Snr.'  
'Lucius.'  
'Busy time at the Ministry Arthur, all those extra raids. I do hope they're paying you overtime but judging by the state of this, I'd say not. What's the use in being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?'  
'We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard Malfoy.'  
'Clearly. Associating with muggles.'  
"There it is, just wait til he comes out." Severus nodded, face set in a grim line.  
'And I thought your family could sink no lower.'  
"You're going to get us all in strife Sev." Rufus warned, tense and ready for action.  
'I'll see you at work.'  
"That snob actually works? Who woulda thought?" Aloysius mused, eyeing the taller blonde.  
'See you at school.'  
"You're going to do this in front of Draco?"  
"No choice Rufus, but it'll probably do him the world of good to see this." Severus nodded, slipping off his robe and shrinking it before shoving it in his pocket.

Waiting a few moments later for both Malfoys to be in the middle of the alley, Severus approached and boldly grabbed one shoulder, pulling the slightly taller man around. Before any words could be exchanged, Severus cocked his right arm back and let rip a shocking uppercut, clicking Malfoy's jaw closed and sending him back a step.  
'What's gotten into you Severus?' Lucius demanded, rubbing his aching jaw.  
'Meet the newest trio to grace Hogwarts. We are a powerful team and both these wizards are muggleborn.' Severus growled, right hand still clenched into a tight fist.  
'My, your standards have certainly dropped Severus.' Lucius smirked, eyeing the taller pair with disdain.  
'How dare you insult my mate!' Rufus roared, lunging forward and raising his fist. If Severus' blow was shocking, Rufus' punch was absolutely brutal, bone crunching under his knuckles as Lucius dropped to his knees, blood pouring down his face.  
'Did you see that?' Hermione whispered, staring in disbelief at the sight.  
'Yeah, but I don't believe it. Snape just stood up for muggleborns.' Harry replied, absolutely shocked by this turn of events.  
'How dare you.' Lucius managed, spitting blood as he struggled to his feet and went for his cane.  
'Oh we dare Malfoy, we've dealt with men a lot scarier than you could ever be.' Aloysius countered advancing and letting off a straight cross that snapped Malfoy's head back and put him back on the ground. Without even thinking, Draco stepped up and drew his wand, standing tall in front of his father.  
'Leave him alone!' he snapped, aiming at the trio.  
'The lesson is over Draco, put your wand away. Don't let me hear about you calling people like Hermione nasty names, I will not stand for such behaviour. You might be a preferred student now but one little slip and I'll have you scrubbing cauldrons every evening for a very, very long time.' Severus warned, disarming the young boy with a lazy flick of his wand.  
'Remember this day Lucius, we are not above repeating the lesson if needed.' Rufus added, glancing over his shoulder and winking at Hermione. 'And Miss Granger, if ever you hear of anyone calling you nasty things, you know who to find.'  
'Of course Mr Jacobson.' Hermione nodded, clutching her books to her chest.  
'There's a good girl. Well come along Sev, still plenty to do.' Aloysius grinned, stepping over Lucius and turning back to offer Severus his hand.  
'We will see you all back at Hogwarts.' Severus nodded, taking the offered hand and stepping over Malfoy, landing a nasty kick to his ribs as he passed.  
'Whoa, careful Sev.' Aloysius yelped, catching the older man as he stumbled.  
'I'm okay Aloysius, just couldn't get this right leg up high enough to avoid that lump.' Severus replied, heading into Madam Malkin's.

Loaded down with new supplies, the trio returned to their suite and unpacked, new broomsticks set beside their Quidditch robes and this year's books piled on the table. Shucking his jacket, Aloysius rolled up his sleeve and looked at the enchanted tattoo on his right arm, smiling warmly as he traced the three snakes coiled across his flesh. Pulling his shirt off completely, he walked over to the full length mirror and looked at them again as they wove a beautiful pattern down his arm One was green, another blue and the third red, scales gleaming as they wrapped together, curling down from his shoulder until their heads rested together on his hand. Red and blue were side by side with the green serpent on top of them. Up on the curve of his shoulder, the three tails were in the same pattern; red to the left, blue to the right and green overlapping both.  
'I still can't believe you got that done.' Severus grinned, walking over to trail his fingertips over the glistening snakes.  
'I told you I would, don't know why you doubted me Sev.' Aloysius shrugged, captivated by the three heads on the back of his hand.  
'Besides, it commemorates a year of friendship.' Rufus added, joining his lovers in front of the mirror. Without even meaning to, they automatically slid into the same position, Rufus to the right, Aloysius to the left and Severus in front and between them.  
'You two are my life, makes sense I keep a symbol of you with me at all times.' Aloysius whispered, holding them close and relaxing.  
'They really are amazing, but I'm glad no one else will understand the significance.' Severus nodded, reaching up to brush one finger across the green serpent's head.  
'They might see three snakes and recognise them as a representation of us but I don't think they'll ever understand the true significance.' Aloysius agreed, twitching his muscles and watching the snakes dance.  
'I so dare you to show your tattoo off in the great hall.' Rufus smirked, leaning in to press a kiss to Severus' hair.  
'You're on Rufus, I've got no shame in showing this sweet piece of artwork off.' Aloysius replied, pulling away reluctantly and heading into the bedroom.

Fishing through his clothes, he heard the knock at the door and kept searching for what he wanted, paying half his attention to the conversation in the main room.  
'How was your holiday Severus?'  
'Pretty quiet actually Minerva. We stayed home for the most and worked on some of the course work for this year. What about yours?'  
'Tea Minerva?'  
'That would be lovely Rufus. I had a very uneventful break Severus, spending most of my time preparing for this school year. Where is Aloysius?' Minerva sighed, settling on the couch.  
'I'm just in here Minerva, won't be a minute.' Aloysius called, pulling on a suitable top and pulling his hair back before leaving the bedroom and pulling the door.

Glancing up, Minerva stared openly at the twisting snakes, taking in the design and shaking her head slowly as she smiled.  
'you are a man of many surprises Aloysius.' she offered, unable to take her eyes off the design as Aloysius walked over and settle in the armchair comfortably.  
'An indelible reminder of a special team. Green for Sev, blue is Rufus and I'm the red snake.' he chuckled, holding out his hand so Minerva could see the three heads up close.  
'Positioned in this way, they represent the way I lead these two through their studies and into the unknown.' Severus added, quick to dispel any ideas running around in Minerva's head.  
'The detail is extraordinary, I've never seen work like this before.' Minerva praised, leaning in closer to really admire the tiny scales in on the three heads.  
'I wasn't expecting anything quite this magnificent, I couldn't have asked for better work.' Aloysius agreed, taking his coffee and relaxing back into the soft leather armchair.

Sweeping into the great hall that evening, no one noticed anything different until Severus, Aloysius and Rufus reached the top table. What got everyone's attention were the synchronised movements as they swept their long cloaks off and hung them up on a silently conjured stand, the heavy black folds draping to the floor. The sight revealed by this removal got everyone talking, whispering about the changes and staring at the trio.  
"Look at them, they just can't believe what they're seeing." Severus smirked, pulling his hair back off his neck and tying it up securely.  
"Even Minerva is confused." Rufus snorted, pulling his glittering emerald out of his shirt.  
"Told ya this would be a lark." Aloysius sniggered, taking his seat and relaxing, right arm on display for everyone.  
'I didn't realise you all got the same design.' Minerva remarked, turning to look at the trio.  
'Didn't have to, it's another bonus of the bond. I've had tattoos done before so I got this one done and fed the design through to them. All the stunning imagery without any of the associated pain.' Aloysius shrugged, his protective urge turned more towards Rufus than Severus and they understood his reasons without needing to ask.  
'And it turns up just like that?' Filius asked, still admiring the flowing lines.  
'Piece by piece, it starts bleeding through the skin. Look here, the last piece is just coming through.' Rufus replied, getting up and walking down to place his hand on the table between Filius and a new teacher he didn't yet recognise. Turning his eyes down, Filius watched as the three heads slowly started to appear, the form indistinct to start with before lines came through and the scales started appearing.  
'You can't feel that?' Pomona asked, watching the amazing sight over Filius' head.  
'It's a little warm, like I've just put a glove on but apart from that, nothing.' Rufus grinned, flexing his fingers and lifting his hand a little. 'There it is, the finished design.' he added, gazing at the graphical representation of the most important part of his life.  
'I'm glad that's done, talk about mental strain.' Aloysius groaned, hanging his head.  
'It's perfect Aloysius, well done.' Severus whispered, squeezing his thigh under the table. 


	8. Chapter 8

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
OLD FIRES AND NEW *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Severus knew Draco had told his father about the new Quidditch team at Hogwarts, there was no way the little blonde would keep that a secret from his father. Even so, it was a shock to see Lucius Malfoy sitting in the stands, snake headed cane held lightly in his hands. Rising as one, the older team took their positions and watched the Slytherin team showing off on their new broomsticks.  
"Aloysius, I need you to do me a favour."  
"What's on your mind Sev?"  
"See Lucius Malfoy over there?"  
"No, can't say I do. But then, I wouldn't recognise him if he was right in front of me. I didn't exactly get a good look at him before you put him on his ass in Diagon Alley." Aloysius shrugged, twirling his bat lazily and trying to follow where Severus was looking.  
"Here, this is what he looks like." Severus sighed, pushing the image across.  
"Okay, I've got him now. Long blonde hair and silly little black fur hat." Aloysius nodded, hidden gaze falling on the older man in the stands as he calmly watched his son.  
"When I give you the signal, I want you to belt a Bludger his way. You're not going to hit him; I'll be in position to knock it back towards the Slytherins before it hits him. Hopefully this will make us even." Severus explained, confident Aloysius could make that shot without hitting anyone accidentally.  
"Okay, I can make that shot. Just don't miss your shot, I'm not going to take the heat alone for this." Aloysius nodded, working out the best position for him to be in when he took the shot.  
"I'll be in position before I give you the signal, don't stress. It'll look perfectly natural and standard for the game." Severus promised, moving into position and tightening his goggles down.

With a blast of the referee's whistle, the balls were released and the game was on. Tightening his grip, Severus shot after the nearest Bludger and launched it back over his shoulder towards the Slytherin team.  
"Easy Sev, you almost took Draco's head off with that." Rufus warned, glaring at Marcus Flint as he got his hands on the Quaffle.  
"I'll apologise later Rufus." Severus replied, ricocheting a Bludger back across the pitch and hissing as pain flared up his arm.  
"Nice save Sev." Aloysius praised, blasting after Aurora and making his Bludger rebound off the ground and up at Adrian Pucey. Catching sight of the approaching Bludger, Adrian let out a startled shout and forced his brand new broomstick up as fast as he could but he still felt the breeze as the Bludger passed him by.  
"Almost got him Aloysius." Severus chuckled, bat whistling through the air.  
"Wasn't trying to hurt the kid but breaking his broomstick would be funny." Aloysius shrugged, flipping over and heading after Minerva.  
"I don't want to think about how that would go down." Severus shuddered, moving to hammer one away from Rufus so the bigger man could focus on the charging Flint. Relaxed and calm, Rufus charged to meet Flint and followed the Quaffle as it was tossed between the three Chasers dressed in green. Picking his moment, the taller man reached out and snagged the ball from right in front of Flint, belting it back along the pitch.  
'Run along now little boy.' he taunted, returning to his guarding pattern as the Slytherin chasers sneered and turned to chase the Quaffle.

Letting rip with a cross pitch smash, Severus checked his position and grinned faintly as he scanned the area to see where Aloysius was.  
"Okay Aloysius, now!"  
"Coming right up!" Aloysius nodded, lining up and letting rip with an absolutely brutal double-handed assault on the nearest Bludger. It raced across the pitch like a missile, almost unseating Draco and Flint as it passed. Flicking the tail of his broomstick around, Severus shot after the charging Bludger, bat held ready as he closed the distance.

Everyone gasped as the bullet like Bludger closed the distance in a blur, angling right for the stands and sending players scrambling desperately out of the way. Lucius Malfoy stared wide-eyed at the black form racing his direction and tried to think of a suitable protection spell but his mind was totally blank in panic and sheer terror. Suddenly there was a blur of colour and the purple-clad Blind Side Beater was there, one foot on the stands as he hefted his bat and struck a heavy double-handed blow. The Bludger shot down towards the ground and ploughed a bit of a furrow before heading up again. Up in the stands, Severus groaned and sat up, rubbing his head as he stood. Grabbing his broom, he mounted up and quickly repaired his badly damaged bat but just as he was about to take off, Lucius held out his hand.  
"Sev, get back in the game! Septima needs help but I've got to deal with the one after Rolanda." Aloysius snapped, pulling up and heading heavenward.  
'Thank me later, there's still a game to win. Meet me outside the locker room.' Severus hissed, batting the reaching hand aside and kicking off, spiralling towards the ground and raising his bat again.

A little disappointed with their loss, Severus quickly showered and changed before grabbing his broom, bat, goggles and sweaty robes. Bundling most of the gear into a specially made bag, he draped his outer robe over one shoulder and caught up with Aloysius and Rufus, slipping into his usual spot between them.  
'Four more 2001's and we might have won that one.' Rufus sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow.  
'Come on, we were pretty close. Besides, our team has already gone down in history. For the first time since Hogwarts was founded, the teachers won the Quidditch cup last year.' Severus replied, casting a silent, wandless cooling charm over them all.  
'Yeah, that was a proud moment. With Slytherin flying like that though, I don't think we'll get the same honour this year.' Aloysius agreed, smiling proudly at his lovers as they headed towards the castle.

They didn't get far before the swaggering form of Lucius Malfoy approached from the left, still looking a little shaken after that close call with the Bludger.  
'You looking for someone?' Rufus asked, noting with satisfaction that Lucius' nose wasn't looking as perfect as it had been before the Diagon Alley incident.  
'Easy Rufus, no need to get defensive. What can I do for you Lucius?' Severus grinned, turning to face his old school companion.  
'I was hoping to catch up with the Blind Side Beater on your team. I never got a chance to thank him for taking on that Bludger.' Lucius looked uncomfortable as he stood there, clutching his snake-head cane in one hand.  
'Come with me Lucius, you look like you could use a drink.' Severus offered, slinging his broomstick over one shoulder.  
'Can you at least tell me who it was Severus?' Lucius asked, falling into step beside Severus as they walked away.  
'I can do you one better.' Severus chuckled, dragging his Quidditch robe off his shoulder and holding it up to display the position on the back. 'That's right Lucius, I was there for you.'  
'Well then, I suppose I owe you a great debt of gratitude.' Lucius chuckled, astounded he'd been so easily fooled.  
'Far as I'm concerned, we're even now. You were there when I had a close encounter with a Bludger back in our third year here and now I've repaid the favour.' Severus shrugged, slinging the sweaty purple fabric back over his shoulder.  
'I'd almost forgotten about that Severus.' Lucius remarked, a faint smile crossing his face as Draco ran to join them. 'But considering the situations, I must agree.' he added, gaze turning back to Severus.  
'Well played out there Draco, you flew amazingly.' Aloysius praised, slowing his step for a moment and coming around to shake Draco's hand warmly.  
'Thanks Mr Knight. You did well too, it's almost a shame you lost.' Draco replied, delivering his back-handed praise so easily.  
'There's always next time Draco, don't forget that. Oh, I do believe you've got something to say Severus.' Aloysius nodded, slotting back into his previous position.  
'Yeah, sorry about that near miss Draco. I wasn't aiming at you with that Bludger Backbeat.' Severus offered, smiling warmly at the young boy.  
'It's okay Professor, I know you didn't do it on purpose.' Draco grinned, confident his godfather meant him no harm. 'I still can't believe I beat Madam Hooch to the Snitch during my first game.' he added, wonder filling his voice.  
'You should be proud Draco, she's been on a broomstick for over seventy years and you beat her. Can you imagine how annoyed Potter must be? He lost on his first time against Madam Hooch.' Rufus smirked, knowing it never hurt to stroke a young boy's ego just a little.  
'Yet more proof that Malfoy's are superior.' Draco agreed, glancing up at his father.  
'Come on Lucius, I promised you a drink.' Severus chuckled, heading inside and watching Draco jog off towards several Slytherins who were celebrating their victory.

Wandering through the corridors, Lucius watched the three men beside him without seeming to, seeing the way they interacted and moved as one through the students, sharing little looks and smiles that might not have meant anything or that could have meant the world to them. But by far the hardest thing was adjusting to the change in Severus' behaviour and personality. He wasn't such a git anymore, scowling and prowling down the corridors, robes billowing around him like an angel of death or at lest failed classes and detentions. Instead he was smiling and laughing, greeting students and discussing problems with homework. His usual black cloak was nowhere to be seen, even if the rest of his clothing hadn't changed much. Then there was the marking on his hand, three overlapping snake heads poking out the bottom of his sleeve.  
'You've changed Severus.' he remarked, glancing at the raven-haired man to his left.  
'I'm not the only one Lucius. The staff at St Mungo's couldn't fix your nose properly?' Severus grinned, reminding Lucius of his painful lesson all over again.  
'We will discuss that later, once you've shaken off those two.' Lucius replied, lifting his chin and glaring at the other two men.  
'You just don't get it, do you Lucius? I'll never shake these two off as you so rudely put it, we are bound together for life. We live together, support each other and share everything. We can see each others thoughts, communicate silently and pull knowledge from each other without a problem. Pain felt by one is felt by all, fear is shared and minimised, power grows within and we are near immortal because of the strength hidden in the bond.' Severus explained, smiling fondly at his lovers.  
'Surely you do not have to spend every minute of every day together.' Lucius scoffed, unable to believe what he was hearing and seeing.  
'Sure, we could do our own things but it is important to grow into the bond as it changes and strengthens. The more we do together, the faster the bond will mature. Hence we share a home both at Hogwarts and during the holidays, enjoy private meals, study together and we even help in Sev's classes. Our classes were specifically organised so we could spend pretty much all day together, with only the odd separation period.' Rufus explained, shifting his gear bag onto his shoulder and taking Severus' one in hand.  
'Thanks Rufus.' Severus grinned, leaning on the railing and heading down the last flight of stairs.  
'We've got you Sev.' Aloysius uttered, grabbing a section of Severus' jacket to support him.

Settled in the chair he'd taken on other previous visits, Lucius could only watch in disbelief and wonder at the changes in Severus' personality and behaviour. Having shaken off his heavy woollen clothes, Severus looked the total opposite, stretched out on the couch in a pair of rather tight blue jeans and a simple pale grey singlet to fully show off the tattoo on his arm. What made it even stranger was the way the three men snuggled together on the magically extended couch. Head in Rufus' lap as he snuggled back into Aloysius' embrace, Severus looked totally content as he relaxed.  
'Destiny! Midnight! Gypsy!' Aloysius called, patting Severus' thigh lightly. With the soft ringing of delicate silver bells, the three cats came running from the bedroom and jumped up onto the couch, curling up in their favourite spots.  
'Don't look so surprised Lucius, so much has changed since we last sat and talked. Without these two, I'd be lost on the streets of London with no idea who I am or where I came from. Admittedly, there are still a few things that haven't come back but for the most, I am happy.' Severus offered, drawing away from Aloysius and sitting up before drawing Destiny onto his lap.  
'Do you remember us Severus? The wonderful times we shared?' Lucius asked, putting his snifter down and standing.  
'I remember that Lucius, I remembered as soon as I entered my bedroom and found this hanging on the post.' Severus nodded, flicking his wand and calling a silver amulet to his hand. Getting up, he walked over and gently put the amulet in Lucius' hand, onyx meeting silver as perfectly manicured fingers curled over the intertwined snakes.  
'if it gave you good memories, why are you giving it back Sev?' he asked, opening his hand and looking at the twisted snakes, black and white scales glinting in the firelight. 'We were great together, weren't we?'  
'We were Lucius but I've moved on, I'm sorry. You'll always be my first but it's not right to try and pick up where we left off. Too much has changed, things can't go back to the way they were before the exploding memory potion.' Severus tried, wrapping both hands around the pale one holding the amulet.  
'It's those two, isn't it? I lost you to them, before I even got a chance to fight for your heart.' Lucius sighed, reaching into his shirt and drawing out a matching amulet.

Tightening his grip on the second amulet, he pulled sharply, the fine silver chain giving easily but still cutting his soft flesh. Pulling his hand free from Severus' grip, he gazed at the identical amulets and sighed, turning away slowly.  
'You were my peace Sev, the one person I could turn to when I needed to escape the manor. I could have given you everything Sev, whatever you could possibly desire.' he whispered, shoulders drooping.  
'Everything except what I have now Luc, money can't buy everything. Certainly, you could give me the finest food and softest silk, an extensive potion lab and whatever else I wanted but you alone could never give me a taste of immortality. Don't get me wrong, old age will still claim me as surely as it will claim all of us but I no longer fear the killing curse, poisons, venoms or anything like that. I am as close to immortality as a man can get without being forced to live an unending life.' Severus replied, walking around to stand in front of Lucius and tipping his chin up with one finger.  
"We'll go take a walk, you two need some alone time. But if you do want to keep up your thing with Lucius, we support you Sev. So long as you spend your nights with us, we don't mind sharing with him." Aloysius offered, getting to his feet.  
"Are you guys serious? I'm not some book to be shared around!" Severus snapped, careful to hide his anger from Lucius.  
"You can't hide from us Sev, we know you inside and out. When you sleep, your mind wanders, subconscious spilling all kinds of little details into our minds. We've seen the relationship you shared with Lucius before we met, the love that bloomed back in your fifth year and all the fun you had together. I'm sure you're seen into our past loves too, seen the love and joy lost in years gone past. Don't make that mistake, don't let Lucius go until you are absolutely certain the relationship won't work." Rufus guided, stretching and walking over to place on hand on Lucius' shoulder. 'Treat him right or I'll do more than break your nose.' he whispered, leaning in close so Severus couldn't overhear him.  
'I should be going.' Lucius managed, moving away from Rufus quickly.  
'No, you stay and see if you can't make something positive out of this crumbling relationship. We've got rounds to do, be here when we get back.' Aloysius corrected, securing his wand in his belt and leaving the suite with Rufus.

Creeping back into the suite ninety minutes later, Aloysius peeked into the bedroom to the left of their room and smiled softly at the sweet sight before them. Severus was stretched out on the covers, bare ass pointed towards the door as he carded his fingers through Lucius' hair tenderly. Looking up, he caught sight of Aloysius and smiled warmly before going back to his study of the sleeping blonde beside him.  
"Thank you." He whispered, lifting his gaze again and winking at Rufus.  
"No problem Sev. So what have you worked out for a long term solution?" Rufus asked, leaning in the doorway and watching the older pair contentedly.  
"We worked out the theory but Luc wanted to run it past you before we formalised anything. Two evenings a week and Sunday afternoons, he'll come to visit and we can enjoy what we have without disturbing you two. I'm still not sure this is going to work, it's hard enough keeping up with you two but adding Lucius on the side I must be insane." Severus sighed, amazed by how right it felt to be in bed with Lucius and talking to his trio-mates.  
"We work something out Sev, don't stress. I have to say though, Lucius had an amazing ass from this angle. Not quite as good as yours Sev but still, hot damn." Rufus chuckled, shamelessly ogling the sleeping man.  
"Down boy, not sure he'll appreciate such attention. Maybe one day but for now, don't make it so obvious." Severus chuckled, arousal returning full force at the mental image Rufus' words had created.  
"I'm claiming that one." Aloysius challenged, taking a step into the room.  
"I'm not sure I should leave Luc alone with Rufus." Severus teased, easing off the bed.  
"I'm not going to do anything untoward Sev, promise. You go have fun, I'll keep my hands to myself." Rufus replied, walking over and draping Lucius' heavy velvet cloak over his naked body.  
"Take care of him Rufus, his past weighs heavily on his mind." Severus nodded, leaning in to share a warm kiss before slipping from the room to join Aloysius in the main bedroom. Kicking off his joggers and taking a seat on the bed, Rufus watched the older man sleep and lightly toyed with his hair, gently caressing the silken strands just as Severus had been doing.  
'Sleep Lucius, everything's okay.' he whispered, blocking out the sensations coming from next door as he relaxed.

Groaning softly as he stirred, Lucius realised something had changed while he'd been recovering. He could still feel the soft mink blanket under his body but there was another warm weight spread out over him, warmth that smelled so familiar. The hand stroking his hair was larger too, so he knew Severus wasn't beside him anymore. That was enough to snap him to full alertness with a surge.  
'Whoa, easy Lucius, it's alright. Just relax, nothing happened.' Rufus soothed, wobbling dangerously on the edge of the bed. Lucius wasn't sure what compelled him to do it but he reached out and grabbed one scarred hand firmly, pulling the taller man back onto the bed properly.  
'Where's Sev gone?' he asked, looking down and smiling. No wonder it smelled so familiar, someone had covered him with his own travelling cloak.  
'He's just next door with Aloysius, don't worry. Rather than disturb your rest, he left me to watch over you until you woke up.' Rufus replied, reaching out and tucking a few stray strands back behind Lucius' ear.  
'Despite his grouchy exterior, Severus is a good man at heart.' Lucius agreed, drawing the robe closer around his body and turning his left arm away.  
'Wait a minute, that's the same tattoo as Sev's got.' Rufus grinned, gently turning Lucius' arm back and looking at the image.  
'Let me guess, he didn't tell you what it means to be marked with this image?' Lucius sighed, allowing Rufus to look but he was uncomfortable with the attention focused on his mark of shame.  
'He would if he could remember. It doesn't matter how long he spends staring at his tattoo, he just can't remember anything about it. We do what we can to help him but he's frustrated with his problematic memories.' Rufus shrugged, releasing his hold and leaning back on his hands comfortably.  
'I might be able to help him. We got into this situation together years ago, it's only right that I remind him of what it means. He probably will not like what I have to say but it needs to be said if he's ever going to fully remember what he's lost.' Lucius offered, shuffling up the bed and leaning back against the headboard comfortably before drawing his cloak up over his chest a little more.  
'If it's going to help him, he needs to know we all need to know. He's trying to contain the change but slowly, his mark is bleeding through to us. Over the last week the shape has become a little more defined but it's nothing like yours yet.' Rufus uttered, settling back beside Lucius and flipping his arm over to reveal the formless black blur on his left arm.

Shifting closer, Lucius lined their arms up and nodded, recognising the basic shape in the black blur and understanding the danger these two younger men were being drawn into.  
'You have no idea what you could be facing because of this mark, do you? Never asked about it or shown someone else what's happening to you? Never researched what the mark could mean?' Lucius asked, suddenly hit by this urge to protect this young man from the horrors he was rushing towards.  
'No, we haven't dared to show anyone or ask about what it means. Severus hides it well from everyone outside our suite but inside, he feels shame about the mark, shame that he can't explain. It's hard for us, we don't know how to help Sev get past this and he's worried about letting the mark pass to us. We're all fighting, but I get this feeling we're not all pulling in the same direction.' Rufus sighed, dropping his gaze sadly.  
'I won't lie to you Rufus, taking the mark is incredibly dangerous. Even with fractured memories, I'm sure Severus has mentioned you-know-who.' Lucius warned, totally out of his depth but determined to help as much as he could.  
'Yeah, we've talked about that topic. All the horrible things he did the last time he was in power, culminating in the murder of James and Lily Potter and the attempted murder of baby Harry. We talked at length about blood status and muggles in the wizarding world and the stance you-know-who took on such things.' Rufus nodded, recalling that tense conversation during the long break.  
'There's no easy way to put this Rufus so I'm just going to come out and tell you the painful truth about what this mark actually means to all who wear it.' Lucius tried, looking away for a few moments and shuddering.  
'I've dealt with some bad stuff in my life Lucius, you don't have to protect me from this just because it's dark or scary.' Rufus coaxed, refusing to be daunted by another dark turn in his life.  
'Almost twenty years ago, Severus and I were swayed by the words of you-know-who, we were blind to his evils and blinded by promises of glory and honour. We didn't realise our mistake until after we were branded with his mark, drawn into his inner circle and forced into a dangerous life as Death Eaters. Severus managed to get away and turned a new page, finding security and safety under Dumbledore's watchful gaze. Most of us weren't so lucky, many were imprisoned in Azkaban, some escaped and are now hiding all across Britain while a few of us were able to maintain our lives without any serious changes.' Lucius explained, unable to look at Rufus in his shame at what he'd done in the past and could very well be called to do again.

Staring in horror and disbelief, Rufus vaulted away from Lucius and stood trembling for a moment before fleeing the room. Pausing only long enough to grab a sealed bottle from the liquor cabinet and his heavy cloak, he fled the suite without a backwards glance.  
'What did you do to him?' Aloysius snarled, charging into the guest room and seizing Lucius by the throat.  
'I told him the truth.' Lucius choked, scrabbling desperately against the firm hold slowly cutting off his air supply.  
'Aloysius, let him go!' Severus tried, hurrying into the room and trying to heave his younger lover back off Lucius.  
'What truth?' Aloysius asked, hauling Lucius off the bed and pinning his wrists to the nearest wall.  
'About the mark on my arm, the same one that Severus has and what's coming through on your arm too.' Lucius replied, watching the shock flit across Severus' face.  
'You know what it means?' Severus asked, stepping up beside Aloysius.  
'Of course I know, we had them done together. I told Rufus and he couldn't handle the information.' Lucius nodded, biting back an angry retort as Aloysius forced his arm over to reveal the tattoo.  
'You should have told me first Lucius, not Rufus. It wasn't your place to tell him about it, no matter what the story.' Severus growled, reaching out to Rufus but the connection was blocked.  
'You never told me you couldn't remember what it meant. Rufus wanted to know so I explained who gave us the mark and what it meant. How was I supposed to know you had forgotten about your time as a Death Eater?' Lucius challenged, refusing to be intimidated by the show of force against him.  
'Aloysius, you have to find Rufus. He's gone and locked his end of the bond down, I can't reach him.' Severus uttered, reaching past the younger man to wrap his hand around the offered throat.  
'What about you?' Aloysius asked, focusing for a moment and securing Lucius' wrists to the wall.  
'I'll be okay Aloysius, I've always been better at wandless, silent spells. You just worry about Rufus, there's no telling what he's thinking right now.' Severus replied, adding his own charms to the mix before turning and stalking from the room to get dressed.  
'You'd better hope I find Rufus unharmed and safe. If he has suffered so much as a scratch, I'll pay you back tenfold.' Aloysius hissed, slapping the older man hard before turning and storming from the room.

Hunkered down comfortably in a nest of gnarled roots, Rufus slugged from the bottle of firewhisky he'd grabbed and swayed slightly, blissfully drunk and well on his way to forgetting about what Lucius had told him. A chill wind whispered among the trees but that didn't bother Rufus, he was far too busy drinking.  
'Lousy murdering bastard how can someone forget shit like that hiding secrets ' he slurred, downing another great gulp and glaring at the three entwined snakes on his right arm as he lowered the bottle. He could vaguely hear something out in the forest around him but didn't care, he didn't want to go back and face Severus now that he knew the truth.

Knowing Rufus the way he did, Aloysius had abandoned all thoughts of finding Rufus in the castle and headed outside, looking around for a moment before starting towards the Forbidden Forest.  
'You always do pick the most frustrating places to hide Rufus.' he sighed, patting his pocket lightly and striking out towards the forest, wand held high to light his path. Coming to the edge of the forest, Aloysius glanced back over his shoulder towards Hagrid's hut for a moment, contemplating asking the massive man for help but he dismissed the idea quickly and pushed into the forest, scanning the area carefully. He knew full well just how good Rufus was at hiding from people when he didn't want to be found and hoped he could find the shaken man before he got into any serious trouble but he wasn't counting on that too much.

Eyes sinking closed, Rufus polished off the bottle and curled up a little more as he lay down, head pillowed on one arm. Shuffling and mumbling incoherently, he settled and drifted drunkenly towards despair. He didn't want to go inside and face Severus but he felt bad for leaving Aloysius behind. Shivering a little, he drew the hood up over his head and let his mind drift to all the wonderful times he'd shared with his best friend during their years together.

Delving deeper into the forest, Aloysius started picking up on traces of thoughts that were definitely not his. He'd been shunting Severus' anger, shame, horror and sorrow to the back of his mind, refusing to be drawn away from his task but now he was getting traces of happy times in his past; laughing with Rufus as they enjoyed a snowball fight during a deployment; their hiking holiday in Canada; planning a hunt in Russia and so many other fragments. Pausing mid-stride, Aloysius focused on the memories coming in from Rufus and smiled, casting a quick locator spell on the older man.

With the memories came regrets and mistakes, each one hitting harder than ever before. Curling up a little more, Rufus choked and wept helplessly for wonderful times gone by and all the things he couldn't do anymore. But something cut through the fear and loneliness welling in his chest; the sound of a breaking twig. Head snapping up, he scanned the area and tried to spot the intruder but his vision was swimming so he gave it up as a lost cause and settled again.  
'There you are Rufus.' Aloysius called, hurrying the last few meters and dropping down beside the drunken man.  
'Boss?' Rufus asked, lifting his head slowly.  
'Yeah big man, I'm here. What are you doing out here all by your lonesome?' Aloysius nodded, guiding Rufus up into a seated position and settling beside him.  
'I couldn't bear to be in a room with that murderer.' Rufus managed, easing his pounding head down onto Aloysius' shoulder tenderly.  
'Come back inside Rufus, its cold out and this is no place to spend the night.' Aloysius coaxed, holding the taller man close and fishing out the small vial in his pocket. 'Here, drink this.' he added, offering out the vial.  
'I'm not drinking anything he made.' Rufus snarled, going to knock the vial away but he was so drunk, he missed by miles.  
'I really hate doing this buddy but I can't talk to you while you're this bloody drunk.' Aloysius sighed, biting the vial and wrestling Rufus to the ground. Pinning him quickly, he forced his mouth open and poured the contents of the vial down his throat, holding him down until he swallowed.

Rolling clear and standing, Aloysius watched Rufus splutter and glare up at him as the foul tasting potion worked through his system.  
'What the hell did you do that for?' Rufus demanded, getting to his feet.  
'You need to sober up and get back inside. You go on and on about how Sev is a murderer but what about all the blood on our hands? How many people have we slaughtered because we were ordered and paid to do so? So he killed with a wand and unforgivable curses, following a madman murderer. We killed with missiles and bullets, knives and our bare hands, home made devices and whatever else we could get our hands on. We are not innocent Rufus, there are few true innocents left in the world now.' Aloysius retorted, taking Rufus' hand gently and pulling him back towards the castle.  
'We've never hidden our crimes from Sev.' Rufus groused, allowing Aloysius to lead him back but he wasn't happy.  
'We've also never lost all our memories like Sev did. Sure, we've lost a few memories over the years but for the most, our minds are intact.' Aloysius agreed, snuggling in closer and drawing the warm cloak around his shoulders.

Curled up on the couch, Severus trembled at the force of memories rushing back to him, hot tears blazing down his cheeks as he gazed into the fire and tried to make sense of the information Lucius had unlocked. He heard the door open and looked up, not bothering to wipe away his tears as he took in the welcome sight of Aloysius and Rufus standing there.  
'Forgive me, I didn't know.' he gasped, slipping off the couch and kneeling on the hard floor, shoulders heaving.  
'Go on Rufus, I've got something else to do first.' Aloysius whispered, spotting Lucius' cane leaning against the couch where it had been before they'd done their rounds.  
'C'mere Sev, it's okay. We'll get through this, together like always.' Rufus soothed, dropping onto the couch and dragging Severus into his lap. 'I'm sorry I ran, I was so scared. I'm here now and nothing will tear me away again.' he promised, holding the older man close and doing what he could to calm him down.

Smirking at the sight before him, Aloysius watched a now half-dressed Lucius Malfoy struggle against the rope holding him secure to the end of the bed. Grabbing up the rest of Lucius clothes, Aloysius bundled them up before releasing the older man.  
'Don't let me catch you sniffing around Severus again. You go near him to so much as ask the time of day and I'll break more than your nose.' Aloysius hissed, grabbing his left wrist and forcing it up high against his back.  
'Release me this instant!' Lucius snapped, trying to lean into the pressure but Aloysius kept twisting until he dared go no further.  
'Not a chance Malfoy. You're leaving now and I'm going to make sure you stay gone.' Aloysius replied, escorting him from the room.  
'Don't expect another chance to get near our Sev.' Rufus snarled, keeping Severus tucked in close and turned away from the blonde.  
'We see you near him and you'll learn a new meaning of hurt.' Aloysius promised, tightening his grip and pushing Lucius onwards before hooking his cane and adding it to the bundle in his arms. 'Would one of you kindly get the door?'  
'I've got it Aloysius.' Severus grinned, picking up the nearest wand and opening the door.  
'Come on you, it's time for you to leave Hogwarts.' Aloysius growled, grateful for his foresight in keeping his strength up. 'I'll be back as soon as I can.' he added, heading down the corridor.

Sighing softly, Rufus shifted his grip and stood, Severus automatically grabbing hold of his shoulders. Chuckling softly, Rufus entered the bedroom and tenderly placed Severus on his back, perching happily beside him.  
'Are you disappointed to learn the truth about my past Rufus? Shocked to hear I am not as innocent as we all believed?' Severus asked, sprawled comfortably on the thick fur blanket as Rufus leaned over him.  
'Only the very young are truly innocent Sev, the rest of us try but it is human nature to lose that innocence. Just as you have killed under orders, I also have blood on my hands. No one who lives permanently in this suite has avoided that, we're all as good or bad as each other.' Rufus grinned, working his shoes off and stretching out beside Severus contentedly.  
'I'm just glad your back Rufus, I was worried.' Severus uttered, snuggling in against Rufus and closing his eyes.  
'I could never stay away from you for long Sev.' Rufus replied, curling up around the smaller man and drifting into a light sleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
EXPANDING SKILLS *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Smirking slightly, Aloysius and Rufus watched as Professor Lockhart addressed the students gathered around the padded platform in the great hall.  
"I've got a feeling that Gilderoy has forgotten about our unique situation." Aloysius commented, idly picking something from between his teeth.  
"Without a doubt, unless he's absolutely fucking insane. Come on, he's practically agreed to three on one here." Severus agreed, fingers brushing the emerald at his throat.  
"He'll learn, they all will. By the looks of things though, Draco's still pissed at us." Rufus grinned, gaze falling on the young blonde boy as he glared at them.  
"He'll get over it; he's just not used to seeing his father getting kicked around like that." Severus shrugged, quickly checking that he had the right wand in his hand.  
'Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape.'  
"Oh boy, here we go." Severus sighed, climbing up onto the platform as the students all leaned in to see him.  
'He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry, you'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him. Never fear.' Lockhart continued, winking at the students on the right side of the table.  
'It's not Sev that the students should be worried for, it's you Professor Lockhart. You seen to have forgotten that we are a bound trio, we duel as one in any situation.' Rufus cut in, stepping up and moving to take his usual place beside Severus.  
'I hope you're ready for this Professor Lockhart, we don't always play nice. We won't hurt you but I can't see you walking out of this with your dignity intact.' Aloysius added, taking up his position as Lockhart just stared at them.

Deciding it wasn't worth arguing, Gilderoy drew his wand and turned, striding towards the approaching trio. Every move in perfect synchronicity, the trio drew their wands and raised them in a salute before bowing and turning to stride away. Reaching their end of the platform, the trio turned as one and raised their wands to attack positions. Severus put his left hand out in front and raised his right hand overhead, wrist curling over to aim. Rufus planted his left leg forward, left arm up in a guarding position across his chest and right arm cocked back like a snake. On the other side, Aloysius put his right shoulder forward, wand held lightly in his left hand for the moment but he knew exactly what he was doing, having practised the move many times before.  
'One two three.'  
'Expelliarmus!' whipping around and bringing his wand arm down, Severus let rip and sent Lockhart flying.  
'Levicorpus!' Rufus barked, wand arm snapping forward and curling over into a powerful position.  
'Avis oppungo!' Aloysius finished, launching the first spell with his left hand before whirling around to the right and firing the second with his right hand back over his left shoulder.

The students gathered around gasped at the amazing display as Gilderoy hung upside down over the platform under attack by a flock of bright blue canaries. Chuckling softly, Severus glanced at his trio-mates and smirked.  
'Well, I supposed we had better let him down. He'll only complain if we leave him hanging around all day.' Rufus sighed, quite happy to watch the conjured birds attack.  
'Yeah, I guess we should. Sev, you want to do the honours?' Aloysius agreed, getting rid of the last of his canaries.  
'It's only fair. Professor Lockhart, I suggest you protect your head.' Severus nodded, raising his wand.  
'Protect oof!' dropping like a stone, Lockhart landed heavily on the padded surface.  
'Fair warning was given.' Severus smirked, lowering his wand. Groaning softly, Lockhart sat up and looked along the platform to the smirking trio.  
'Here, you might want this back.' Rufus grinned, flicking the fallen wand back to its rightful owner.  
'Do you think he's alright?' Hermione asked, leaning forward a little more.  
'Who cares?' Ron replied, quite enjoying the show as Lockhart slowly stood and snagged his wand again.  
'an excellent idea to show them that Professor Snape but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do and if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy.' he scoffed, striding along the platform.  
'Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells Professor.' Severus replied, fighting to hold his temper in check in the face of such arrogance.  
"Easy Sev, don't let him get to you. We know he couldn't have blocked all three, that's what really matters." Rufus soothed, relaxed and calm despite the criticism.  
"You're right Rufus but he's just so infuriating." Severus agreed, releasing his frustrations into the bond and relaxing.  
'An excellent suggestion Professor Snape. Now, let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?' Lockhart nodded, pacing back down the platform.  
'Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'd be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox.' Aloysius scoffed, gaze falling on the less-than-brilliant redhead.  
'Might I suggest someone from Slytherin? Malfoy perhaps?' Rufus suggested, whirling and motioning for Draco to get up on the platform to face Harry.  
"That might have been a bad idea Rufus, you know how those two fight." Severus warned, moving back to take up a post at the far end of the platform.  
"We'll be ready to intervene." Aloysius soothed, pushing the students back and jumping down to the left of the duelling platform as Rufus took up a place on the right.

Watching the young pair bow and whisper a few words, Rufus started to regret his call but he knew they were all in a good position to deal with things if anything went wrong.  
'On the count of three, cast your Charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm! We don't want any accidents here. One two ' Draco jumped the gun, launching a quick spell that sent Harry flying down the platform to land heavily.  
"Draco is going to be a dangerous dueller one day I reckon." Severus remarked, smiling faintly at the young boy. Getting to his feet amid the giggles of his fellow students, Harry aimed and returned fire. Spinning laterally, Draco came down heavily on his bum and bounced to a stop right beside Severus.  
"You so sure about that now Sev?" Aloysius asked, shaking his head slowly.  
"Maybe not after seeing that." Severus sighed, hauling Draco to his feet and sending him back towards Potter.  
'I said disarm only!' Lockhart called, suddenly a little nervous about the situation.  
'Serpensortia!' Draco announced, turning and releasing the spell.  
"Okay, now this is going too far." Aloysius gulped, not liking the fact there was now a conjured snake on the platform.  
'Don't move Potter, I'll get rid of it for you.' Severus sighed, advancing on the snake.  
'Allow me Professor Snape.' Lockhart countered, drawing his wand.  
"Oh god, I can't watch." Aloysius uttered, dropping his gaze as Lockhart sent the snake flying high into the air.

It came down with a heavy thud, hissing and coiling angrily at the harsh treatment. Tucking his wand away, Aloysius climbed up to perch on the side of the platform and reached out to the snake, free hand swaying beside his head to draw its attention. Hissing softly, the cobra type snake started swaying in time with the motions, totally hypnotised by the actions of the bespectacled adult. Everyone watched with baited breath as Aloysius leant closer and very gently picked the serpent up and let it coil around his arm while still being careful to keep it a safe distance from his face. Approaching slowly, Harry started speaking in a language unknown to anyone else in the room, drawing the focus of the snake still coiling and moving along Aloysius' offered arms.

Listening to the hissing and picking up on the tension growing in the serpent, Aloysius turned to Severus for support and quickly shifted his grasp on the snake, right hand holding it just behind the head so it couldn't bite him as he used his left hand to control the rest of its body. Quickly recovering from his shock, Severus raised his wand and hit the snake with a spell Aloysius had never heard before. The effect was almost instantaneous, the serpent burning away to nothing in his hands.  
"You alright Aloysius?" Rufus asked, deeply concerned for his best friend.  
"Yeah, I'm okay Rufus. I didn't even feel the heat." Aloysius nodded, climbing onto the platform and walking down to stand behind Severus. "What the hell was that all about anyway?"  
"Parseltongue, the language of the serpents. It's not a common gift, I'm quite surprised Mr Potter has it." Severus offered, shaken to the core but hiding it well.  
"Can we get out of here please, this has all been a little too weird for me to handle." Rufus sighed, joining his lovers on the platform.  
"Sounds like a good idea." Severus nodded, stepping down off the platform and leading his lovers away before anyone could question them about what had just happened.

Settled on the couch reading through his Potions book idly, Aloysius paid half his attention to the rant going on in Severus' office as he gave Draco a proper telling off about the snake incident.  
'He still going at it?' Rufus asked, emerging from the bedroom and curling up in the armchair nearest the fire, rubbing a towel over his still damp hair.  
'Yep, this is turning out to be the royal bollocking to end all bollockings.' Aloysius grinned, going back to his studies and shuffling comfortably.  
'You've got to feel a little sorry for the kid, Sev can be down right nasty when he tries.' Rufus shrugged, draping the towel around his neck and pulling his hair away from his neck.  
'Serves him right for letting out a poisonous cobra in the middle of a group of students.' Aloysius replied, putting his book down and stretching his back.  
'I still can't believe you picked the bloody thing up, what were you thinking?' Rufus asked, trying not to get distracted by the sight of Aloysius' bare chest gleaming with a faint shine of perspiration.  
'Ever since I was a little boy, I've had this fascination with snakes of all kinds. The chance to pick one up and hold it was something I couldn't resist.' Aloysius confessed, getting up and walking over to put the kettle on. The old tin kettle was still a point of contention with the house elves, who felt they were being cheated out of a job but they never complained about it anymore.

He was just lifting the coffee mugs down when someone came knocking. Sighing softly, he turned and opened the door with a flick of his wand before going back to the kettle.  
'Good afternoon Headmaster, do come in and have a seat. Tea?' Rufus greeted, unconcerned by Dumbledore seeing him without his shirt on in his own home.  
'Tea would be lovely, thank you.' Dumbledore nodded, eyes twinkling as he settled in the free armchair, a familiar hat on his lap.  
'What brings you down here Headmaster, along with the sorting hat?' Aloysius asked, adding more water to the kettle and lifting down a spare teacup.  
'Better put on one for Sev as well, he's on his way back.' Rufus warned, listening to the internal signals and relaxing.  
'Figured he'd be just about done.' Aloysius grinned, cleaning the familiar tea set and putting it down on the table.  
'But oh gees is he ticked off still. Somehow I don't think his talk with Draco went to plan.' Rufus added, tensing up a little.  
'Shoulda seen that coming. That boy has an arrogance the likes of which I've never seen before.' Aloysius sighed, grabbing down a dark bottle and pouring a generous measure into Severus' teacup.  
'Sorry Headmaster, you were about to say something?' Rufus asked, gaze falling on the older man as Aloysius hooked the kettle out of the fire and poured it carefully into the arranged mugs and cups.  
'Yes Rufus. Now, I am quite sure you both recognise what this is here in my lap.' Dumbledore nodded, indicating the sorting hat on his lap and smiling softly at the pair.  
'Yeah, we know what it is but why did you bring it down here?' Aloysius replied, handing Dumbledore his tea and putting the two coffee mugs on the table.  
'If he wasn't oh, hello Albus.' Severus groused, quickly cutting off his rant at the sight of the older wizard.  
'Hello Severus. I was just about to do something that should really have been done the day we realised Aloysius and Rufus were part of the wizarding world.' Dumbledore explained, watching the dark haired man as he slumped down on the couch.  
'Here Sev, drink up.' Aloysius uttered, pressing the delicate cup into his hands and sitting beside him.  
'Thanks Aloysius. I did think of asking you about that but with everything else that's been going on, it slipped my mind.' Severus sighed, sipping his tea and relishing the burn of fine firewhisky mingled with the sweet tea.  
'Does it really matter if we're sorted or not?' Rufus asked, settling beside Severus and coaxing a faint smile from him.  
'I'd be interested to know if the hat can pick your personality out now that we've been together for fifteen months.' Severus remarked, settling back into comforting arms wrapped around his back.  
'Only one way to find out.' Dumbledore grinned, getting to his feet and walking around behind the couch. Putting his mug down, Aloysius nodded and tried to relax as the hat was lowered into place.  
'Now then, what do we have here? One of the famed trio I've heard so much about during staff meetings in Dumbledore's office. Where to put you? Courage and bravery in spades, a good mind too and you're loyal to those closest to you. But over all of that is cunning and slyness. You would fit in any house but I guess you should go in - SLYTHERIN!'

Shaking his head slightly once the hat was off, Aloysius smirked and leant back against the cushions, Severus leaning into his arms happily as Dumbledore placed the hat on Rufus' head.  
"Just let me focus, I'm just trying something here." Severus whispered, totally focussed on the taller man whispering about Slytherin. It didn't take the hat long to decide and declared Rufus as a Slytherin.  
'Well Albus, looks like I was right. The sorting hat couldn't pick us apart, we are one mind in three bodies.' Severus grinned, finishing his tea and curling up between the younger wizards.  
'What makes you say that?' Dumbledore asked, returning to the armchair and watching the trio.  
'Rufus is more book-smart than sneaky and cunning, I've seen glimpses of his past. Aloysius has bravery and courage to excess, as proven by what I've seen of his past. It was my Slytherin ways glossing over those talents, just like it has been doing for quite a while.' Severus explained, getting up and lifting down their unified crystal drinking set.  
'Time will tell Severus. I'm sure you have other things to do before class tonight. I will see you at eight o'clock near Hagrid's hut.' Dumbledore replied, getting up and leaving the room.  
'Hagrid's hut again? Well, at least we're not sprinting down the hillside this time.' Rufus mused, taking his glass and flicking his towel away to land on the rack in the corner.

Collars drawn up and wands to hand, the trio stuck in close as they listened to the brief on this challenge. In comparison, their last physical challenge on this scale was an absolute walk in the park. Tonight they were going to be separated, transfigured into different creatures that lived in the forest. Then came the real challenge as they tried to locate each other, find their way out of the forest and back to Hagrid's hut while avoiding everyone else patrolling in the darkness.  
'I don't like this, I don't like this at all.' Aloysius uttered, decidedly nervous as Dumbledore approached them with a small velvet bag.  
'I'm not a fan of this idea either but we have to try.' Severus replied, swallowing nervously and looking at the bag as if it was about to explode violently.  
'Here's hoping we maintain our mental link during this.' Rufus gulped, eyeing the bag timidly as he handed his wand to Filius for safe keeping. Hagrid would be out in the forest searching for them while Filius stood ready to release the spell holding them in their beastly forms and return their wands.  
'Reach in and choose your form.' Dumbledore grinned, opening the bag and offering it to Severus.  
'Just tell me Hagrid had nothing to do with the selection. I really don't want to get bitten by anything dangerous.' Severus sighed, reaching towards the bag.  
'You are quite safe Severus, there is nothing deadly in here.' Dumbledore replied, glancing towards Hagrid.  
'Okay, here goes nothing.' Severus nodded, reaching into the bag carefully.

Grasping one of the figures he could feel, Severus was careful not to harm the magical miniature as he lifted it out of the bag. Bringing his other hand up, Severus gently cradled the little unicorn in awe, stunned he'd chosen the very pinnacle of innocence.  
'A unicorn, I'm going to be a unicorn.' he whispered, unable to believe he was holding something so pure in his scarred hands.  
'Alright, here goes nothing.' Aloysius uttered, reaching into the bag and drawing out his own creature. 'A thestral, visible only to those who have seen death.' he breathed, admiring the black horse-type creature in his hands with its wings folded in close.  
'My turn, please be something nice.' Rufus whispered, reaching into the bag and gingerly grasping the final creature. The moment his fingers curled around the creature, he knew what he was going to become. 'A centaur, I can feel his arms around my thumb.' he grinned, drawing out the bay creature and holding it up.  
'Well this will be a learning experience, four legs instead of two.' Severus mused, gently placing the little unicorn in the large glass case Minerva was holding.  
'At least you don't have to worry about the mechanics of flight.' Aloysius sighed, watching the thestral and unicorn exploring their new home in the display case.  
'Six limbs, this is going to be an adventure.' Rufus agreed, adding his centaur to the case and watching the three magical miniatures cantering around their home together. Tearing their gaze away from the tank, they turned back to Dumbledore and quickly stripped down to their undergarments before they were stunned and separated to start their challenge.

Cantering through the forest, Severus finally understood what true freedom was as he jumped a fallen tree and continued to run, feeling the true power he now held in his body. Spotting Rolanda through the trees, he turned and cantered away from her without a care. It was so strange to have his instincts and knowledge in control of a body that no one dared to harm. But even this wonder could not completely remove his concern about the silence in his mind. He kept calling for Aloysius and Rufus but there had been no reply for almost three hours.

Soaring over another fallen tree, he spotted a figure just ahead and skidded to a halt before turning and getting ready to run away again.  
'Severus! Is that you? Tap your hoof once for yes and twice for no.' the centaur called, approaching slowly. Relaxing fractionally, Severus turned his head to look at the centaur and raised his left fore hoof, tapping it once against the fallen tree in front of him. Shoulders sagging, the exhausted centaur approached and reached out to trail his fingers down Severus' neck.  
'You look so beautiful Sev, glimmering in the moonlight.' he whispered, smiling warmly at the pure white creature beside him.  
"Rufus, can you hear me this time?" Severus tried, concentrating intensely as he tried to bridge the tiny gap between them.  
'This really sucks Sev, the mental link is totally gone. Come on, we have to find Aloysius.' Rufus sighed, turning and trotting away. Snorting softly and flicking his head in agreement, Severus trotted after him without a second thought.

They made for a bizarre sight trotting through the forest, centaur and unicorn in perfect step through the darkness. Picking up the pace a little more, they jumped a fallen tree and quickly turned to dodge another patrol through the forest. Then, roughly thirty meters away, they spotted a lone thestral in big trouble. This particular beast was surrounded by five members of staff, completely surrounded and out of options.  
'Come on Sev, he needs our help!' Rufus called, grabbing up a solid branch and charging the situation.

Vaulting a fallen tree together, they swung into action without fear or hesitation. Rolanda was first to take a hit, folded double over the hastily prepared quarterstaff Rufus was carrying. Gilderoy was next to go, narrowly avoiding Severus' lowered horn as he ran from the clearing at full sprint. Turning sharply, Severus lined up on Hagrid and let off a savage double kick, both rear hooves connecting with his side and shunting him off balance to land heavily on the ground.  
'Come on Aloysius, gallop!' Rufus cried, throwing his weapon at Dumbledore like a spear and taking off full power through the trees. Tucking his wings in close, Aloysius bobbed his head and took off through the undergrowth, ducking and weaving among the trees. Lashing out at Minerva and rearing up to knock Pomona over, Severus turned and chased after his mates, hoping to catch up before they left the forest.

Stopping together just on the edge of the forest, Rufus reached out and traced one hand along Aloysius' neck, unconcerned by the less than pleasing appearance of his temporary form.  
'I'm the luckiest guy in the world right now, flanked by beauty and sharing a beautiful night with the men I love most of all.' he whispered, drawing Severus in closer before they started walking towards the hut together. Filius was standing at the door, smiling proudly as the trio emerged from the forest four hours after they were sent into the twisted place.  
'Well done. Now just hold still and I'll have you back to your true forms in no time.' Filius called, approaching them and nodding.  
'Just hang on a moment Filius. Is it possible to reopen our mental link without removing these altered forms?' Rufus asked, wincing as Aloysius nipped his shoulder.  
'Certainly, but why?' Filius nodded, casting the spell quickly.  
"What are you thinking Rufus?" Severus demanded, prancing away a little.  
"Yeah, I'd kinda like my body back." Aloysius agreed, stretching his wings.  
'I want to enjoy this body for a bit longer. I like the power and strength I can feel, I love the easy stride that just east up the ground and to be honest, I really just want to gallop with my mates for a while and enjoy this beautiful night.' Rufus explained, taking their wands from Filius and conjuring up a simple belt and secure pouch to keep them in for the time being.  
"That sounded almost romantic Rufus." Aloysius teased, tossing his head and rearing up confidently.  
"Romantic and truly enjoyable. A long gallop under the full moon, just the three of us." Severus agreed, shaking his head in an attempt to deal with an itch. "Rufus, be an angel will you? I've got an itch just behind my right ear."  
"But of course Sev." Rufus chuckled, walking over and gently scratching the indicated spot.  
"Ahhh, bliss." Severus moaned, leaning into the touch happily.

Emerging from the forest, the other teachers could only watch in wonder and confusion as the trio enjoyed a brisk game of chase on the slopes leading up to the castle.  
'What are they doing?' Minerva asked, shaking her head slowly.  
'Rufus wanted to gallop with his mates for a while and enjoy the night. I reopened the mental link and it appears that all are in agreement about the fun.' Filius shrugged, chuckling as he watched Severus roll in the grass and kick up his hooves.  
'Well, they do look happy as they are.' Pomona agreed, conjuring up a chair and settling.  
'I don't think they get enough time to just have fun like that. What with classes and Severus' lofty position, they're all so busy.' Rolanda mused, creating her own chair and relaxing.  
'Does anyone else find it ironic that Severus pulled out the unicorn?' Filius asked, starting a fire and moving back as Hagrid dug out his kettle and filled it before ducking inside to make tea for everyone.  
'Perhaps he is the most innocent of the three. We have no idea what Aloysius and Rufus did before coming to Hogwarts.' Minerva shrugged, chuckling as Rufus and Aloysius got into a play fight.  
'I think they were soldiers of some sort. I noticed two large knives on the mantle when I was there earlier.' Dumbledore offered, content to watch the trio play for as long as they wanted to do just that.

Up on the slopes, Rufus slotted back between his mates and ran with them under the full moon. Hooves in rhythm, they ran with no goal in mind, just enjoying the change to do something a little wild and so totally out of character. Laughter rang clear through the mental link but also into the night air as they continued their mad charge.  
"I could use a break, I saw the perfect spot just over here." Severus sighed, turning and heading back to the area he'd noticed earlier. Settling on the soft grass and tucking his legs in, he relaxed on the grass and looked skyward, quite enjoying the breeze blowing across his sweaty flanks.  
"You look so amazing laying there Sev, caressed by the moonlight and clearly waiting for someone to join you." Aloysius whispered, sinking gracefully down beside Severus and shaking out his wings before draping one over Severus tenderly.  
"Now there's a stunning sight, two wonderful mates just waiting for me to join them on this romantic evening." Rufus grinned, finding a comfortable spot against Aloysius and resting his head against that powerful neck.  
"What a perfect way to spend a few precious minutes together." Severus mused, gazing back towards Hagrid's hut and watching the teachers enjoy a hot cup of tea.  
"I could stay here all night, this is as close to heaven as I'm ever going to get." Aloysius offered, quickly trying to hide a yawn.  
"I can think of a better place to spend the night, someplace private where we can really have fun." Severus coaxed, dropping his mental voice to that alluring purr he had that never failed to get his lovers excited and very interested.  
"Sounds good to me Sev. These bodies are nice but I want to curl up properly, skin to skin." Rufus agreed, waiting for Aloysius to rise before climbing to his hooves and rearing up to stretch out his muscles.  
"Just like always my sweet pilot." Severus nodded, rising and leading the charge back down the slopes. 


	10. Chapter 10

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
DELUSIONS AND PAIN *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Taking their usual places at the head table, Aloysius and Severus swapped a concerned look before turning their gazes to the empty chair beside them. Rufus had been in the library, doing some research for his History of Magic essay.  
"Rufus, where the hell are you? Dinner's started." Aloysius asked, sipping his coffee and trying to relax.  
"I'm just leaving the library, be there soon." Rufus replied, sounding like he was hurrying along.  
"Alright, see you soon." Aloysius nodded, confident Rufus would come straight to the hall to eat.  
'What's taking so long?' Severus asked, quite enjoying the shepherd's pie on offer.  
'He's just leaving the library, he shouldn't be long now.' Aloysius replied, feeling bad about eating without Rufus right there with them.

No one expected what was to come next. With a great cry of pain and anguish, Aloysius and Severus started twitching and shaking violently. With a great heave of his shoulders, Severus dumped his chair over backwards and kept shuddering and twitching as though he didn't notice the change.  
'Minerva, Hagrid, help me take them to the hospital wing. Filius, organise search teams to find Rufus. Something terrible has happened to him I fear.' Dumbledore instructed, getting to his feet. 'Prefects, please escort your houses back to the dormitories.' he added, knowing he could trust the older students to look after their houses.

Quickly binding the men so they couldn't cause themselves or the other teachers any injuries, Dumbledore and Minerva lifted Severus onto a stretcher as Hagrid carefully gathered Aloysius into his arms before turning and following the stretcher from the hall.  
'Five confirmed petrifications and now this I'm worried Albus.' Minerva uttered, watching Severus twitching and shaking violently despite the spells to calm his movements.  
'So am I Minerva. This might be the end of Hogwarts.' Albus nodded, glancing back over his shoulder at her sadly.

Releasing the binding spells and replacing them with soft magical ropes, Madam Pomfrey did what she could for the traumatised pair but none of her tried and tested methods did a thing to ease the symptoms. In the end, she just drew curtains around their beds, cast a barrier to keep the students out and left them in order to deal with her other patients.  
'Poppy, I think we've found the answer to the strange behaviour of Aloysius and Severus.' Rolanda called quietly, carrying one end of a stretcher as she entered.

The few conscious students in the hospital wing gasped at what they saw. Rufus was flaked out on his back, a book clutched in his left hand and a shocked expression on his petrified face.  
'I do hope Dumbledore has organised someone to cover Professor Snape's classes until we get this sorted out. He's in no fit state to teach as he is now.' Poppy sighed, moving another bed into the back corner and helping to move Rufus into it where he would be more comfortable until the mandrakes were ready.  
'I never thought I'd see the day when Severus looked so helpless.' Rolanda uttered, looking over the trio in their damaged states.  
'They'll be okay Rolanda; once we unpetrify Rufus we should see an improvement in Aloysius and Severus. To be honest though, I don't know if that will work. I've never had to deal with bonded trios like this, I have no idea what to expect or how to treat them as one. The smart thing to do would be to send all three of them to St Mungo's.' Poppy nodded; grateful at least that Rufus was laying flat, arms down and could be covered easily, unlike the students in their strange positions.  
'They'll be okay Poppy; they're too tough to just give up like that.' Rolanda grinned, turning away and slipping past the curtains.  
'I hope so Rolanda, I really do.' Poppy agreed, making sure her patients were safe and secure before leaving them to their hell.

Padding quietly around her domain, Poppy kept an eye on her patients and chased away students that she felt had been there too long.  
'Glistening eyes reflection in the window giant snake scenting blood going to kill.' head snapping up, she turned and hustled back to the far corner, listening intently to the words.  
'Glistening eyes reflection in the window giant snake scenting blood going to kill.' slipping through the curtains, Poppy stared in disbelief at the new change in their condition. Aloysius and Severus were in sync, twitching and shuddering as they spoke, voices rising together. Those five phrases, repeated over and over, struck fear into her heart. She didn't know what it meant but it had her in cold sweats at the mere possibility of what might happen.  
'glistening eyes reflection in the window giant snake scenting blood going to kill.' eyes closed, the twitching men kept mumbling those same warnings but Poppy didn't understand what they were trying to say.  
'We'll figure this out Severus, you'll be snapping at students in no time.' she whispered, setting up a bowl of cool water on the table beside his bed and lightly wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Focused on her work, Poppy didn't notice someone else was in the hospital wing until Draco poked his head through the curtains and gasped in shock.  
'What are you doing here Mr Malfoy?' she asked, turning to his and starting to push him back behind the curtains.  
'I overheard Potter saying that Professor Snape was up here. I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help him.' Draco uttered, careful to keep his voice down.  
'And what has suddenly made you care?'  
'Professor Snape is my godfather, I've cared about him for as long as I can remember. I've started to see Mr Knight and Mr Jacobson as surrogate uncles as well. I just want to help, however I can.' Draco sighed, gaze turning back to the curtains.  
'Family or not, you can't abandon your classes.'  
'I'll go to all my other classes, if you'll just let me spend my Potions classes here with them.' Draco tried, fairly sure his father wouldn't approve of his actions but he didn't care about that right now.  
' well, it's against my better judgement but Potions classes only young Mr Malfoy. I will be speaking with your teachers to make sure you keep your word. One missed class and our deal is over.' Poppy agreed, motioning Draco to go back through the curtains.  
'I understand Madam Pomfrey, I won't miss a class.' Draco nodded, wringing out the cloth in the bowl and gently wiping Aloysius' face before straightening his hair and finding a leather thong in his pocket.  
'Call me if you need anything, I'll make sure you leave on time.' Poppy grinned, leaving Draco to tend the mumbling pair.

Leaving his History of Magic essay to dry, Draco turned and squeezed out one of the cloths in the bowl, folding it neatly and draping it over Aloysius' forehead. Picking up the drier cloth, he wiped that handsome face and ran a few trickles of water through his hair. Combing out the tangled locks, he resecured the thong and checked Aloysius wrists and ankles for damage from the soft ropes. Finding a few new grazes on his ankles, Draco grabbed the vial of soothing balm and spread it over the injuries lightly.  
'Good evening Draco. Have you eaten yet?' Poppy greeted, poking her head through the curtains.  
'Good evening Madam Pomfrey. I had dinner in the great hall to see if I could hear any more about what's being done.' Draco replied, folding the covers back down and tucking the end in quickly. 'I just noticed some new grazes on Mr Knight's ankles.'  
'I'll make a note of that Draco. I must admit, I never thought I'd see you doing such mundane tasks. It is a nice change from the usual Malfoy behaviour.' Poppy remarked, happy to stand back and watch Draco tend to the minor needs of the trio.  
'Unlike my father, I find it easy to care when it comes to family.' Draco shrugged, glancing at Rufus sadly before turning his focus to Severus and going through his evening ritual again.  
'I'll be in my office if you need anything Draco. Oh, Dumbledore is going to be here soon, he wanted to hear what they're saying first hand.' Poppy nodded, leaving Draco alone with his charges. Sighing softly, Draco finished the ritual and returned to his homework, easily blocking out the constant rambling as he got stuck into his Transfiguration homework.

Lost in his homework, he didn't realise Dumbledore had arrived until the ancient wizard touched his shoulder lightly.  
'I was not expecting to see you here Draco. I would have thought you would return to you common room to do your homework.' he offered, smiling warmly at the young boy.  
'I don't mind working here Headmaster; it makes it easier to help Madam Pomfrey.' Draco shrugged, getting to his feet and padding over to wash away more sweat.  
' glistening eyes reflection in the window giant snake scenting blood going to kill glistening eyes reflection in the window giant snake scenting blood going to kill '  
'Have they said anything else Draco?'  
'Not that I've heard Sir, and I've been here as much as possible for the last four days. I come up here before breakfast, during lunch, for all my Potions lessons, after classes and often eat dinner here too. All I hear from them is those same five phrases.' Draco replied, vanishing a mess in Severus' bed using a quick spell Poppy had taught him.  
'this is most concerning Draco, it seems they are seeing whatever Rufus saw but the insanity that comes with Rufus' near death has rendered them unable to tell us more that these few vague clues. It's up to us to work out what they're trying to say.' Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Keep up the good work Draco, I'm sure we will work out the answer soon.' he added, returning his gaze to the young Slytherin.  
'Thank you Dumbledore, I intend to keep my watch until the solution is found.' Draco replied, a cold finger of dread tracing down his spine as he considered the implications of Dumbledore's words.  
'I have no doubt of that Draco, goodnight.' Dumbledore nodded, turning and leaving the private area.

Holding the precious vial lightly, Poppy approached the centre bed and poured the contents down Rufus' throat carefully. Stepping back quickly, she could only stare in disbelief as Aloysius and Severus immediately stopped their muttering and twitching, falling into stillness for the first time in over a week. Smiling softly and sagging a little in relief, she removed the soft ropes, smoothed out their blankets and left them to wake up in their own time.

Slipping into the curtained room, Draco froze and rubbed his eyes in disbelief at the now still figures on either side of Rufus. Trying to ignore the way his hands were shaking, he approached Severus and checked for a pulse the way Aloysius had taught him, relaxing when he felt the strong, reassuring beat beneath his fingers.  
'Very funny Rufus now fuck off.' Severus groused, batting away the chilled fingers against his neck and rolling over.  
'Uncle Severus? It's me, Draco.'  
'Hmm...Draco?' Severus groaned, rolling over and rubbing his eyes.  
'Yes Uncle Severus, I'm here. How do you feel?' Draco grinned, shoulders slumping with relief.  
'Absolutely starving and I've got one hell of a headache.' Severus replied, managing a weak grin at his godson.  
'Sev?' Aloysius muttered, cracking one eye open and letting out a strangled yelp.  
'Hang on Uncle Aloysius, I've got your glasses right here.' Draco soothed, hurrying to the taller man and pressing the battered black frames into his hand.  
'Thank you Draco.' Aloysius uttered, slipping his glasses on and sitting up a little. 'What happened to land us in the hospital wing?'  
'Uncle Rufus was petrified and you, along with Uncle Severus required restraints. You were shaking and twitching, muttering about glistening eyes reflected in windows and giant snakes scenting blood and going to kill.' Draco explained, relaxing more and more as he spoke to his uncles.  
'Aloysius? Severus?' Rufus groaned, stirring and lifting his head a little,  
'Right here big man.' Aloysius chuckled, running one hand through his hair and briefly wondering why it was tied up to the side.  
'Welcome back to the land of the living Rufus.' Severus added, adjusting the pillow and sitting up.  
'I take it someone figured out the basilisk living under the school.' Rufus grinned, stretching out and wriggling up the bed.  
'Potter figured it out. From what I've heard, he killed it and almost died from the poison.' Draco shrugged, perching on the foot of Rufus' bed and looking his uncles over.  
'Any chance of getting something to eat? I'm absolutely starving.' Aloysius asked, his words echoed by a loud growl from Severus' direction. 'I'm not the only one by the sound of that.' he grinned then laughed, glad to have survived another close encounter.

Drawn by the laughter, Poppy parted the curtains and smiled warmly at the laughing men as Rufus drew Draco into a tender embrace.  
'Well you three certainly bounced back from that quickly.' she remarked, amazed by the rapid change.  
'How long were we out?' Rufus asked, releasing his hair and shaking it out.  
'Nine days, Draco spent quite a lot of time caring for you while you were unconscious or close to it.' Poppy replied, glad to finally be at the end of the constant mumblings.  
'Did you now Draco?' Severus asked, touched by the loyalty of this young boy.  
'I did Uncle Severus, Madam Pomfrey taught me the basics I needed to know in order to do the job right. I gave up all my free time to sit here and watch over you all.' Draco nodded, darting over and jumping into his godfather's welcoming embrace without being invited.  
'I'm so proud of you Draco. You really went out of your way to take care of family.' Severus praised, knowing full well Lucius would never even consider doing such a thing.  
'Well now that we're awake, any chance to getting a feed?' Rufus asked, swinging his feet over the side of the bed.  
'I will permit you to go down to the great hall on one condition.' Poppy nodded, confident she could trust them to behave.  
'Name it Poppy.' Aloysius grinned, looking forward to a meal after nine days of nothing.  
'Draco stays with you for the night, just to keep an ear out for any problems. Tomorrow you should be clear to go back to normal duties.' Poppy instructed, her warm gaze falling on Draco's face.  
'I can't Madam Pomfrey, I don't want anyone else to know about who my godfather is.' Draco uttered, hanging his head sadly.  
'After a good meal, we'll be fine Poppy. You can always fire-call us if you get concerned during the night. It's not like we're up to much more than a feed and then back to bed.' Severus offered, knowing just how special that secret was to Draco.  
'I would be remiss in my duties if I sent you off without someone to watch over you but I suppose you're capable of watching out for each other. Go on, before the meal is over.' Poppy sighed, shaking her head in disbelief as the three men practically flew out of bed.

Swaying for a moment, Severus leant back against Rufus and closed his eyes, absolutely exhausted despite being laid up for nine days.  
'Evening Professor Snape, Aloysius, Rufus.' Hagrid greeted, gazing down at the trio with a smile on his shaggy face.  
'Evening Hagrid, good to see you back with us.' Aloysius replied, remembering what Draco had said.  
'And you as well.' Hagrid nodded, leaving them and entering the great hall.  
'Come on, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can go to bed.' Rufus uttered, using Hagrid's arrival as a distraction to get up to the staff table and take their seats.  
'Welcome back.' Minerva grinned, shoulders drooping just a fraction at the sight of them.  
'Thanks Minerva. Who took my classes while we were out of commission?' Severus asked, picking up his teacup and relaxing as his plate was filled with shepherd's pie.  
'Dumbledore took them, you would have to ask him what he taught the students.' Minerva offered, chuckling at the way Severus rolled his eyes and groaned.  
'Easily fixed Sev, leave it to me sweetness.' Rufus uttered, getting to his feet and holding up his hands for quiet.  
'Oh boy, this could be interesting.' Aloysius whispered, wondering what Rufus was going to do.  
'To all classes who had Potions with Professor Dumbledore, a little bit of homework. You will each submit a two foot essay on what you learned from the Headmaster.' Rufus called, eyes scanning the students as they started whispering.  
'Well that should keep them busy.' Severus nodded, tucking into his meal as Rufus returned to the table.

Undressing quickly, Severus covered a yawn and tossed his clothes into the washing pile in the back corner. Shaking out his hair, he climbed into bed and curled up in his favourite spot, Aloysius pressed in against his back and Rufus curled up in front of him.  
'It's nice to be home, snuggled up like always.' Rufus uttered, throwing one arm over both men and snuggling closer.  
'Oh yeah, there's nothing better.' Aloysius agreed, relishing the way they fit together so perfectly. Every curve of muscle, pressing together, tangled limbs finding their places without any difficulties as they settled into their disturbed routine.  
'Enough talking, sleep.' Severus mumbled, burrowing in against Rufus' chest and drifting towards sleep.

Propping his head up on one hand, Rufus smiled softly as he watched Severus and Aloysius sink into a deep sleep, dark hair spread across the silvery-white satin pillowcases. To him, there was nothing more amazing than the sight he was witness to each night, the similarities breathtaking as the snored softly and twitched in their sleep. Cracking one eye open, Severus reached up and pulled Rufus' supporting hand free, guiding it under his head before settling and closing his eye again.  
'Sleep love, we're okay now.' he uttered, slipping back into his restful sleep again.  
'Love you guys.' Rufus whispered, pressing in close and finally succumbing to sleep. 


	11. Chapter 11

*#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*  
STARTING TO REBUILD *#(~)+(~)#(~)+(~)#*

Hanging up his teaching robes, Severus looked at the new wardrobe Aloysius and Rufus had insisted he wear for this little adventure. Pulling on his new jeans and dark green tee-shirt, he tied his hair back and grabbed the bag of other clothes and necessary equipment before joining his mates in the living room.  
'ready to go Sev?' Aloysius asked, lacing up his heavy boots firmly, the worn black leather firm around his ankles and lower calf.  
'you still haven't told me what we're doing.' Severus sighed, grabbing his matching boots and sinking onto the couch to put them on.  
'we've spent nearly two years living off your dime, it's time for us to get out there and start working towards getting some funds of our own. We've got a few locations we can hit and at least three choice targets that will get us some nice cash. It's nothing dangerous, we can do this easily enough.' Rufus explained, shouldering into his Kevlar vest and holstering his cleaned sidearm.  
'well, dangerous is a relative thing. Let's be honest, this is a crazy plan but we've got the training to survive. There are few people in the world who can survive this kind of stunt but you're looking at two guys who have already done it three times.' Aloysius added, tying his hair back and making sure his knife was secure on his belt.  
'just so long as I'm not risking my sanity.' Severus sighed, deeply concerned for just what they were getting into this time.  
'we know what we're doing Sev, this is how we made our living before things went south. Just stick with us, keep your body armour on and don't go jumping in front of any bullets. From here it's a short flight to a temporary facility to get more equipment and then onto the big prize.' Rufus grinned, tossing Severus a slightly battered Kevlar vest.  
'I don't like this, you two are being far too secretive.' Severus uttered, pulling the vest on and allowing Aloysius to make a few adjustments to the fit.  
'it's all for the best Sev. Once we've reached the temporary facility, we'll explain the plan properly.' Rufus soothed, checking it was dark enough outside before shrinking his bag and stashing it in his vest pocket. 'time to go, it's going to be a busy few weeks.'  
'you're going to be fine Sev, it's time you learnt to play by our rules.' Aloysius grinned, handing Severus his Quidditch goggles and pulling on his own. 'it's time for us to take the lead and show you another side of life.' he added, shrinking his bag, pocketing it and heading for the door.  
'at least tell me this much, are we going to be doing anything illegal?' Severus asked, shrinking his bag and heading outside nervously.

The scene outside was no less disturbing then the lack of information he'd been given. Aloysius and Rufus were already mounted on their broomsticks, scanning the area around them.  
'you two are insane. Long distance flights on broomsticks are almost unheard of because of the risks of being seen by muggles.' he sighed, taking his broomstick from Rufus and mounting up.  
'one more word of complaint and you can bloody well stay home. We're going into a dangerous situation that could get us killed so we need to focus. Now come on, time is already ticking down before we lose this chance.' Aloysius growled, kicking off and heading skyward quickly.  
"what's gotten into you Aloysius?" Severus asked, following him into the darkened sky.  
"he always gets like this just before a big hunt. He's not doing it on purpose, he just gets wound up and starts working on solutions to all the problems. I used to cop all his foul moments on my own, you get used to it fairly quickly. Give him a couple of days to settle down and he'll snap less." Rufus soothed, coming up beside Severus and squeezing his shoulder lightly.  
"I didn't think you minded my supporting you both."  
"we've never had a free ride before, we worked for every little thing we ever got. Being supported by someone else is foreign to us, it's taken some getting used to. When this is over, it's our turn to spoil you rotten for a few days." Rufus shrugged, focusing on the upcoming challenges and getting mentally prepared for a few hard days.

Casting a quick disillusionment charm, Aloysius headed down and swooped down towards a small warehouse on the outskirts of London. Touching down lightly, he dismounted and pulled out a key on a chain around his neck. Unlocking the side door, he scanned the area carefully as Rufus and Severus hustled inside.  
'what is this place?' Severus asked, looking around at the darkened interior.  
'shh, just keep your voice down until we're in the apartment complex. This place echoes something fierce.' Rufus whispered, guiding Severus through the dark building.

Stopping in the back corner, Rufus trailed his fingers over the wall until he found the hidden button that would open their escape route.  
"all clear, let's get out of sight." Aloysius confirmed, closing the door and picking his way across the space, broomstick in one hand and wand in the other.  
'lumos.' Rufus whispered, pressing the little black button hidden in the wall. Severus jumped back as one panel in the floor silently lifted to reveal a narrow set of stairs plunging down into the darkness below.  
"Hogwarts isn't the only place with secret passages." Aloysius chuckled, bringing up the rear as they headed underground.

Emerging from the stairwell, Rufus hit the lights and propped his broomstick up against the wall before tucking his wand away and walking over to grab a cold beer from the fridge.  
'it's not much Sev but it's home.' he shrugged, grabbing another two bottles and popping the lids before handing them around.  
'we used to have little places in a few key locations, this is the only one left now. What we've got here are things that were worthless on the open market so we figured we'd hang onto them just in case.' Aloysius explained, relaxing a little now that he was safe underneath eighteen inches of steel and concrete.  
'but what is this place?'  
'this is our past, hidden away from prying eyes and surviving on our wits and skills. Above us is a small hanger and garage, containing a small helicopter and a couple cars. This will be our staging ground from which we will launch our assault on our target in the area. We can take what we need from her and vanish again before she even realises what's going on.' Aloysius continued, sipping his beer and heading for the couch.  
'it's a hunt base, designed to protect us from harm and give us somewhere to hide when things don't go to plan. We rarely use this place because it's not fitted out to be as comfortable as we would have liked. Finances got tight and we abandoned the upgrades.' Rufus added, draping one arm around Severus' shoulders and leading him over to the couch.  
'you still haven't explained why we're here.' Severus sighed, squeezing down between his lovers and sipping his beer slowly.  
'we heard that a competitor of ours is in the area for a couple weeks, she's always been successful because she's a rare kind of hunter, a very successful, very dangerous female who has no support or assistance from anyone else. Working as a team, we had trouble beating her back in the past, she's that good with the tools of the trade. Now though, it's time to take back what she stole from us and start a new chapter in our story. We know where she's going to be and what to expect when we face her this time. As far as she knows, we're both dead and forgotten, another duo that couldn't handle the strain.' Aloysius explained, flicking through the paperwork on the coffee table and finding a slightly battered folder. 'the photo is a little out of date but you get the idea about her.' he added, handing the folder over.

Flicking the folder open and picking up the photo, Severus looked at the tattered photo of a rough and tumble woman holding an unfamiliar weapon in both hands. Her long hair was tied well back to reveal her angry face and determined eyes. Beside her, two solid attack dogs stood ready for battle, teeth bared and hackles up.  
'this is the woman we're going after?' he asked, nervous about facing those nasty looking dogs.  
'yeah, that's the Black Hunter, one of our worst competitors. Don't look so worried Sev, we can handle the dogs easily enough, Emily is the real threat. But with what we know now, we can take her down a few pegs and score some new toys for our stocks. Replacement weapons and body armour, a new car or two and if we're really lucky, a new fighter for Rufus. It all depends on what she's here with.' Aloysius explained, squeezing his shoulder calmly.  
'I'm still not sure I like this but if you think you can handle her, I'll adjust to the idea. Just promise me you'll be careful, both of you. I'm no Poppy Pomfrey, you get hurt and there's only so much I can do to help.' Severus nodded, closing the folder and putting it back on the table among so many identical files.  
'we'll be okay Sev but I suggest we get some sleep. We start the job tomorrow, tracking and stalking her until we find a suitable spot to launch our attack.' Rufus grinned, getting to his feet and heading for the bedroom.

Turning the light on, Rufus kicked his boots off, hung his vest on the wall and climbed up into one of the hammocks in the small concrete room.  
'this is one place where our lack of money really shows through. It's not ideal but we manage.' Aloysius shrugged, conjuring up a third hammock before helping Severus to get into the netting bed.  
'this isn't so bad. It might not be what I'm used to but it's not too bad regardless.' Severus commented, pulling up his blankets and getting comfortable as he rocked slowly.  
'it will put a dampener on our sex lives, as we've already learned.' Rufus yawned, burrowing under his blankets and rolling over carefully so he didn't hit the floor.  
'so long as we're together, I don't mind.' Severus uttered, relaxing a little more as Aloysius turned out the lights and climbed into his hammock quickly.  
"sleep well guys." Aloysius whispered, vanishing under his blankets and drifting quickly to sleep.

Feeling somewhat restricted in the tight vest hidden under his shirt and jacket, Severus adjusted his borrowed glasses and stuck in close to Rufus as they wandered down the street together.  
"eyes on the target." Aloysius reported, covered by a disillusionment charm as he crouched in the shadows nearby and watched for their target. "she's just coming your direction now."  
"I have her in my sights." Rufus confirmed, relaxed and calm as he continued walking his circuit, Emily appearing in his peripheral vision and walking in the same direction.  
"okay, time for phase one." Aloysius directed, moving from his place.  
'that little holiday did me the world of good Rufus, I reckon it's time we got back in the game.' Severus remarked, his voice magically adjusted to match Aloysius' perfectly.  
'yeah, I think we've wasted enough time Boss. Two years out of the loop, I wonder what the bounty on the Black Hunter is up to now.' Rufus replied, hands in his pockets as they continued to walk.  
"she heard you guys, she's crossing the street and moving into position behind you." Aloysius reported, somewhere close on his broomstick, ready to spring the trap and force Emily to chase them.  
'forget about the Black Hunter for now, she's old business. Her time is coming, she just doesn't know it yet but when it happens, it won't be just us taking her down.' Severus shrugged, looking up at his taller companion.  
'yeah, I suppose you're right. I guess we'd better go see Johnson, we could use some new gear.' Rufus nodded, whistling softly as they walked down the street slowly.

Turning the corner and approaching their car, they heard hurrying footsteps and the distinct sound of a gun being raised.  
'why can't you just stay dead Knight?' Emily roared, poking her head around the corner.  
'takes more than you to kill me Hunter.' Severus replied, diving into their red convertible and buckling up as Rufus gunned the engine and tore away.  
"nicely played guys, now for the real fun." Aloysius chuckled, reaching out to brush his fingers across Severus' arm before shooting away to grab his own car and join the chase.  
'I still don't really like this.' Severus uttered, shaking out his hair and adjusting his glasses.  
'it's okay Sev, you're in no serious danger. Just hang on and relax, we did shit like this all the time before.' Rufus soothed, whipping their car sideways around the corner and barrelling away.

Burning rubber, Aloysius shot out of his hiding place and slid into a covering position to the rear of Emily's car. Gunning the engine, he closed the distance and pulled his sidearm, letting off three shots into the boot of Emily's sedan. Swinging her car around, Emily broke off the chase and disappeared down a different street, Aloysius spinning the wheel to stay on her tail.  
"you're doing great Rufus, three blocks north and get back in front of her. I'll disappear just before you come back into sight."  
"nah, stick on her tail. We'll come up on her left side, Severus is hiding in his specially designed bolthole." Rufus replied, glancing over his shoulder as Severus finished working his way into a small backpack on the passenger seat.  
"gotta love that undetectable extension charm. You okay in there Sev?"  
"it's actually quite nice in here. I wouldn't want to stay too long but for now, it's quite pleasant." Severus chuckled, settling comfortably in the bottom of the backpack, comfortable among so many weapons.  
"you won't be there too long Sev, promise. Just long enough to get Emily into the maze and Rufus into position." Aloysius promised, still sticking in close to Emily's tail.

Pushing their cars to the limit, Aloysius and Rufus kept pushing Emily hard to keep up with what they were doing. Keeping her focus on his back, Rufus led the chase through the city, ducking as Emily tried to line up a shot on his head. Her attempt was met with heavy fire from the rear, nine mil rounds tearing up the rear window and slamming into the seatbacks.  
"this is getting dangerous now Boss, she just winged me in the right." Rufus hissed, pain echoing over the link as Rufus quickly tied a field dressing around his arm without losing speed.  
"alright big man, move onto phase two of the mission. I'll keep her from firing off another round." Aloysius growled, drawing his shotgun and letting off a couple slugs into the black sedan. The first one pounded into the driver side seat, punching through the padding before the second peppered Emily's body armour and sliced her cheek open.  
"you got it Boss, see you at the warehouse." Rufus nodded, gunning his engine and peeling away from the chase, knowing Emily would never be able to resist chasing him down.

Bolting through the maze, Rufus skidded into the central chamber and hunkered down behind a solid shipping container before opening the bag and reaching inside. He smiled as Severus gripped his wrist firmly in both hands before hauling him out of the bag and reaching in again. Pulling out the first crate, he motioned for Severus to open the container doors and quickly set the crate up, bracing the lid so the weapons were quick to hand.  
'I know you're in here Knight!' Emily called, firing as she spotted someone running past in her peripheral vision.  
'you'll have to come in and get me Hunter!' Severus shot back, ducking into the container just as Aloysius raced in from the rear, blood dripping down his side. "what happened love?"  
"don't sweat it Sev, I'm fine. This armour is getting a bit old which means the occasional bullet might just get through. Once we've dealt with Emily you can worry about healing the injury. For now, let her think I'm badly injured and she'll make a mistake." Aloysius soothed, reloading his weapons and tying his hair back again.  
'you won't survive this Knight, I'll get you yet.' Emily challenged, moving carefully through the maze of crates and shipping containers scattered through the warehouse.  
'you can try Hunter but you will never be a match for my skills.' Aloysius replied, wand tucked in his belt as he took shelter inside another shipping container.  
'you're just not good enough to be a one woman show anymore!' Rufus added, vanishing into a third container and cocking his rifle.

Finding her way into the central area, Emily pressed her back to one of the wooden crates marked parts and took a few moments to compose her mind before starting to carefully clear the area. Stalking closer to one of the open containers, she reached for a grenade and popped the pin, letting it cook in her hand for a moment. Just before she could let it go, a suppressed round slammed into her back, knocking her off balance and sending the grenade rolling across the floor. Growling softly, Emily got to her feet and whirled around to see who had dared shoot her in the back. There was no one there and she was forced to make a run for cover as her dropped grenade exploded, throwing frag all around the room.  
"everyone okay?" Aloysius asked, hissing mentally as he yanked a chunk of hot metal out of his leg and bound the injury quickly.  
"nothing serious, just took a piece in the side." Rufus replied, placing the piece of casing quietly on the floor and securing a small dressing over the wound.  
"I've got a couple of pieces in my leg. What do I do?" Severus asked, fighting back the pain.  
"grab them firmly, yank them out and apply field dressings, you've got a stash of those in your hip pouch. Just be careful when you ditch the frag, the idea is to stay quiet." Rufus guided, just hoping Severus had the courage and tenacity to get through this.  
"okay, I can handle that." Severus replied, yelping across the link as he worked to pry the pieces loose and dress the injuries.  
'I should have known you didn't have the courage to face me Knight!' Emily called, emerging from her cover and starting to search for her quarry again.

Tensing up a little, Rufus poked his head out and watched Emily approach Severus' position. Rising up to one knee, he drew a frag grenade from his gear and pulled the pin before poking his head around the corner again.  
"Sev, get right back into the far corner, I'm about to let off another grenade."  
"I'm on the move." Severus replied, quietly inching backwards into the shadows.  
"I've got you covered." Aloysius added, carefully pitching a flash bang across to go off behind a different crate. Whipping around, Emily shrugged and went back to her search, oblivious to the grenade now rolling across the floor.  
"I'm in the back corner." Severus reported, curling up tight and trying to relax.  
"good, you should be reasonably safe there." Rufus confirmed, giving the grenade a light push in the right direction.  
"reasonably?" Severus asked, jumping as another loud bang echoed outside his container.

Snarling low in her throat, Emily struggled back to her feet and stormed the container, weapon pressed to her shoulder as she pushed on through the pain.  
"Rufus, you'd better be ready for phase three, she's coming your way!" Aloysius warned, grabbing the smoke grenade hanging from his webbing and getting ready to throw.  
"I'm in position, what about you Sev?" Rufus confirmed, moving forward and cocking his arm.  
"on your mark guys, I'm back in position." Severus replied, making sure he had his grip right before yanking the pin.

All of a sudden, the central chamber disappeared in a big puff of green smoke, confusing Emily and leaving her turning slowly in a circle as she tried to track her quarry in the smoke.  
'you lose Hunter!' Aloysius called, shotguns raised as he waded into the smoke.  
'you're never going to be good enough Hunter!' Rufus added, assault rifle pressed to his wounded shoulder without concern.  
'only one of us is walking out of here free!' Severus challenged, voice fading back to his own as he adjusted his clothes and joined the team, wand held threateningly in his leading hand.  
'who the hell dares interrupt this battle?' Emily roared, automatically locking onto the new voice.  
"nice one Sev, now she's really confused. Of course, this could make things extra dangerous." Rufus sighed, advancing quickly through the smoke.  
"just let me know when you're in position." Severus replied, trying to relax but he was struggling.  
'what's the matter Hunter? You're not running scared are you?' Aloysius taunted, lowering one shotgun and casting a quick spell to thicken the smoke again.  
'you will never scare me Knight! I'm twice the soldier you are!' Emily shot back but her focus was unwavering. Spotting a form in the smoke, she raised her pistols and fired, chuckling softly at the pained cry that echoed through the air.  
"Sev! Talk to me Sev!" Aloysius roared, fighting back his instinct to charge and carefully picking his way through the smoke.  
"I'm alive, hurts like hell but I'm still here. I think I can make it back to my container for shelter." Severus replied, groaning softly as he started moving in the direction of his shipping container.  
"hang in there Sev, I'm on my way around to your position." Rufus soothed, keeping his aim on Emily as he started moving left.  
"no, Aloysius needs you more. I can reach both and apply pressure, I'll be fine. One in the right shoulder and one punched through my armour to tear into my right side." Severus groaned, whispering a quick spell to ease the blood loss as he struggled towards the safety of solid steel.  
"I'll move to a covering position near you, it's going to be okay Sev. Just keep your head down and take care of your injuries as best you can. We'll fish the bullets out later and clean the wounds properly." Rufus nodded, continuing to inch left very slowly and cautiously so Emily didn't spot him moving.  
"I've got you covered Rufus, it's okay." Aloysius offered, parting the smoke so Emily could see him. Catching movement out of the corner of one eye, Emily turned and raised her pistols, locking onto Aloysius in the smoke.  
'I'll get you yet Knight!' she cried, charging the taller man as the smoke thickened around him again.

Instead of finding him though, she ran full jog into the side of another shipping container and bounced, landing in a heap on the ground.  
'what's the matter bitch? Can't find one little Bounty Hunter in all this smoke?' Aloysius taunted, firing a shell into the thick steel just over Emily's head and moving through the smoke as he worked another round into the chamber.  
'you can't run forever Knight!' Emily snapped, getting to her feet and starting to hunt again.  
'no one is running Hunter! You're just useless!' Rufus bellowed, standing firm between the marauding woman and Severus. "we have to finish this soon Boss, Severus isn't used to this sort of thing. He's putting on a brave face but we need to get him out of here ASAP."  
"I know Rufus, I'm ready to finish this pointless game now." Aloysius sighed, falling back to his pre-prepared assault position.  
'face me like a man Knight!' Emily challenged, lowering her weapons and looking around slowly.  
"can you do it Sev?" Aloysius asked, watching Emily stalk around the middle of the chamber and smiling proudly at their idea of enchanted smoke.  
"not this time Aloysius, sorry." Severus uttered, sinking closer towards the darkness.  
"it's okay Sev, we didn't plan for you to get shot twice like that. Rufus, get in that container with Sev and yank the door closed. You look after him until this is finished, it won't take more than a few minutes." Aloysius directed, placing one shotgun down on the floor and drawing his wand.  
"be safe love." Severus groaned, still struggling to adjust to having been shot.  
"don't worry about me Sev, I've been doing this for years. You just focus on getting through this alive." Aloysius soothed, whispering the incantation and blowing the enchanted smoke away slowly.

Leaving his shotguns on the ground, Aloysius grabbed an old M-16 from the crate beside him and cocked it, ready to finish their battle just like they'd planned it to go down. Wand resting close to hand, he waited for just the right moment as the smoke finally dissipated properly to reveal the scorched and damaged area around them.  
'you want me Hunter, then come and get me bitch!' he challenged, confident he could win this one without help even though he would have liked backup.  
'I hope you're ready to die then Knight.' Emily smirked, both pistols raised as she stood there facing Aloysius without fear or concern.  
'it's you who should be worried Hunter.' Aloysius grinned, keeping Emily's focus as Rufus cracked the door open quietly.  
'expelliarmus!' the taller man called, sending both Emily's pistols flying from her hands. 'accio Desert Eagles.' he added, snagging both weapons as they soared towards him.  
'confundo!' Aloysius barked, M-16 clutched in his left hand as he sent the spell across the room.

Stumbling for a moment, Emily looked around slowly and blinked, a blank expression on her face. Returning his rifle to the crate and holstering his shotguns, Aloysius approached her warily and smirked, proud of his bloodless end to the battle.  
"is it safe to come out?" Rufus asked, cracking the door open.  
"it's okay guys, we're done out here. Emily has been neutralised." Aloysius nodded, reaching out and drawing the large knife from Emily's shirt, tucking it safely in his belt. 'you're going to help us, aren't you Emily?' he asked, circling the younger woman slowly.  
'of course I will.' Emily nodded, her easy acceptance of instructions amazing to witness.

Pushing the heavy door open, Rufus supported Severus lightly against his side as they walked, both covered in blood and clearly exhausted.  
"what the hell did you do to her Aloysius?" Severus asked, grateful for the support against his uninjured side.  
"I confounded her, simple and easy. Means we can move right onto phase five without a problem." Aloysius grinned, calling the two weapons crates to hand and packing them back in Rufus' backpack carefully.  
"I like the way you think Aloysius." Rufus chuckled, very carefully picking Severus up and heading to where they'd parked the cars.  
"it's only going to get better Rufus. Go get Sev settled and I'll be right along with Emily." Aloysius smirked, watching them for a moment before turning back to Emily. 'you are going to take us to your local base right now.' he directed, grabbing her by the elbow and leading her towards the second red convertible.  
'of course, it's not far away.' Emily nodded, slipping in behind the wheel and heading away from the warehouse.

Even though they would never admit it out loud, Aloysius and Rufus were both impressed with Emily's medical abilities. Even so, they left nothing to chance and made use of some simple spells to remove the last tiny pieces of Kevlar or other impurities from their wounds before Emily sutured them closed. She'd apologised for the injuries and any further pain as she carefully cut Aloysius' skin and worked the mangled bullet out of his body, tossing it in a small container on the coffee table. Every frag injury was treated with the same care, disinfected and washed properly before closing them all up neatly.

Eyes running over the screen in front of him, Aloysius worked fast to reverse Emily's security systems, locking her out while granting them full access to all areas of this facility. He wasn't interested in claiming any of her other facilities, he only wanted this one with the stockpile of equipment hidden inside. He also managed to transfer ownership of one of her accounts, giving them a nice big fallback if they ever needed to escape but it would also serve them well during the holidays.  
'are you sure this is the right thing to do Aloysius?' Rufus asked, leaning lightly in the doorway.  
'sure it's the right thing, there is only one other way this situation could end.' Aloysius replied, bringing up a map of the facility and watching as the different sections turned green to indicate the change in ownership. "once I'm done here, I'll take her away from the facility and obliviate her memories of this incident. When she comes too, she'll wonder why she's in London but won't remember us, this place, the account I've appropriated or that fire fight." He added, lightly pressing one hand to the neat dressing tied around his abdomen, protecting the two nasty puncture wounds in his skin 'I suppose this is the gentlest way.' Rufus agreed, going back to check on Severus.

Propped up comfortably, Severus gazed at the ceiling as Emily carefully worked the last bullet out of his back and tossed it in with the others before starting to wash the wound out carefully.  
'I'm so sorry about this, I never meant to shoot an unarmed man. I don't usually do that, I swear. I'm almost done here, just a few more sutures to close up this incision and then I can dress it for you.' she offered, applying a touch more local anaesthetic before tearing open another suture kit.  
'so how's our last patient?' Rufus asked, sinking down into one of the armchairs and crossing his ankles.  
'I'm still alive, can't ask for much more than that.' Severus grinned, performing a wandless, silent cleaning charm just to make sure his wounds were clean and free of foreign bodies.  
'yeah, I can understand that. You'll be out of action for a while but I seriously doubt this will keep you down for long.' Rufus nodded, adjusting the sling supporting his wounded arm.  
'I might not be up to your standards just yet but I'm tough enough to handle this.' Severus sighed, doing his best to ignore the way his right shoulder was throbbing.  
'there we go, all done.' Emily uttered, wrapping the last turn of bandage around his slim waist and tying it off securely.  
'feels good, thank you Emily.' Severus grinned, shuffling around a little as Emily gathered up all the waste and walked away to dispose of it quickly.  
"I was honestly expecting this to take a lot longer than it did." Rufus commented, looking around their new living room and grinning. Digging in his pocket, he fished out a small vial and walked over to press it into Severus' hand.  
"what's the plan now?" Severus asked, swallowing the pain relieving potion and handing the vial back.  
"once Aloysius is done, he's going to take Emily into the city and obliviate her memories of us, this facility, the fight today and one of her accounts then let her go. She's no threat now, Aloysius will make sure of that." Rufus explained, hiding the vial again just as Emily returned and handed them both a coke.  
"alright, I'm done here. The base has been reprogrammed to allow us access to all areas and vehicles hidden inside. While I'm gone, you two can have a bit of a look around and see what interesting things we now own." Aloysius instructed, appearing in the doorway. 'come with me Emily, there is something I need your help with.' he added, favouring his left side a little.  
'okay then, lead the way.' Emily nodded, doing one last check of her medical work before leaving the room.

With Emily safely on her way back to America, the battered trio spread out and started going through all the supplies tucked away in the facility. They found huge stockpiles of weapons and ammunition, each crate catalogued in full detail so they knew exactly what they had without needing to open any of the crates. Not only handguns and assault rifles but shotguns, heavy machine guns, sniper rifles and explosives of all manners.  
'who would have guessed that Emily had all this stuff hidden away?' Rufus mused, popping open one of the crates and lifting out an old M-60 machine gun.  
'I know, she's got enough here to start a full scale war.' Aloysius agreed, admiring a new Remington shotgun and working the action to check for flaws.  
'I seriously doubt we'll need all this gear.' Severus sighed, relaxing back against the wall and trying to ignore the burning in his side.  
'hell no, we'll only take what we need and leave the rest here. No one knows when things like this might come in handy.' Aloysius replied, reloading all his weapons before turning away from the cache. 'come on, let's go see what else is here.' he added, heading for one of the other doors leading off the armoury.

Walking down the corridor and into a large chamber, the found another massive stockpile, this one filled to the ceiling with non-perishable food stores and water.  
'I'll give her this, she really knew how to dig in for the long haul.' Aloysius grinned, picking up an inventory list that was hanging by the door and going through it quickly.  
'this is more than just digging in Rufus, this is preparation for going dark. There's no other reason to stockpile three years worth of food in a secondary base like this one.' Aloysius corrected, scanning the list and working out what they had available to them.  
'how can you tell this is a secondary base?' Severus asked, catching the chocolate bar Rufus threw his way.  
'Emily is American, just like us. Her primary base will be on home soil, somewhere she feels safe and isn't known for her dark, blood covered ways. Our original primary was in Iowa, a large machinery shed converted to a hanger and the other outbuildings on the ranch our armoury, bolthole and other such things.' Aloysius explained, finding what he wanted and heading into the stockpile.  
'some Bounty Hunters set up primary bases in the country where neighbours are kept at arms distance while others prefer city living, their base hidden under the streets in old tunnels or reinforced hangers they built. There's a certain pride that comes with building your own home from scratch, each rough stone wall and floor carved out by hand. It's a dangerous job but well worth the effort when the place is finished.' Rufus added, climbing up and opening another crate to pull out two small cans.  
'Emily would have done most of this work on her own, she's seriously paranoid when it comes to her home. We've got a few close friends that were welcome at the Iowa farm, we knew we could trust them to keep our secret.' Aloysius grinned, fishing out two bottles of wine and climbing back down.  
'have you talked to them since you came to Hogwarts?' Severus asked, taking the cans and bottles and putting them safely in an empty crate by the door.  
'I thought about sending Shane an owl but I'm not sure it's fair to ask any bird to fly that far. He's based in America, serving his country with pride and honour.' Aloysius shrugged, digging out a couple packets of stuff and adding them to their stockpile by the door.  
'come on, I'm starving. It's not quite Hogwarts food but this stuff isn't too bad.' Rufus sighed, grabbing the box of food and heading back towards the living area.

Bellies full and heads buzzing slightly, the trio continued their explorations, passing mechanics bays, workshops and spare parts stashes before splitting up. Aloysius and Severus went left, heading for a garage while Rufus were right and upstairs, aiming for the main hanger. Whistling softly, Rufus jogged up the stairs and keyed the security station before entering the hanger proper. Protecting his eyes as the lights flickered on, he stopped just inside the door and waited, wondering what kinds of aerial beauties he would find up here.

Lowering his hand, Rufus could only stare in shock and disbelief at the fighter sitting in the middle of the hanger, directly below the hanger doors. Rubbing his eyes and blinking, he went back to staring, unable to wrap his mind around what he was seeing there in front of him.  
"Aloysius! Get up here! You're not going to believe what I found."  
"be right there Rufus." Aloysius replied, a little worried about the frantic voice in his mind.

Thundering up the stairs together, Aloysius and Severus raced into the hanger and skidded to a stop beside Rufus, Severus wobbling for a moment before Rufus grabbed him firmly by the belt and stabilised his position.  
'am I seeing things or is that really the Black Raven?' the taller man asked, unable to tear his eyes away from the sleek black plane.  
'I'd be willing to put money on that being your Black Raven. Go on, go see if it really is your precious girl.' Aloysius grinned, nudging Rufus forward and moving to wrap one arm around Severus' waist, mindful of his injuries. Closing the gap quickly, Rufus vaulted up onto the ladder and scrambled up, fingers running over familiar surfaces.  
'I don't understand Aloysius. What's so exciting about that thing?' Severus asked, watching Rufus climb all over the black painted machine, a warm and happy smile on his face.  
'Rufus has owned that fighter for quite a few years now, it's his pride and joy. He was devastated when we had to sell the Black Raven just to survive but he understood it needed to be done. We had no idea who paid our price for such a fine piece of machinery, we left her in a hanger in France and waited for the money to come through. He loves that fighter, there's no way in hell we're going to tear him away from it again.' Aloysius sighed, already picking up on Rufus' concerns about having to walk away from his beautiful fighter again.

Climbing down reluctantly, Rufus shouldered a worn duffle and walked back to his lovers, the happiest smile on his face.  
'it's your baby after all?' Severus asked, glancing back at Aloysius to make sure he'd gotten the words right.  
'yep, it's my special lady alright. Found this tucked in the rear compartment where I left it.' Rufus nodded, digging in the bag and pulling out his old flight helmet, dings and scrapes clear to see all over the white surface.  
'looks like we won't be taking broomsticks back to Hogwarts. We can probably find a way to hide this amazing lady at Hogwarts, just got to figure out a safe place to keep her.' Aloysius grinned, amazed to see the mighty fighter sitting there as if it had been waiting for them all this time.  
'there's a lot of work to do before I let this girl anywhere near a school, especially one full of magic and mayhem like Hogwarts. By the looks of things, Black Raven is going through a bit of a slim down before she's going anywhere.' Rufus shrugged, removing his helmet and heading back to his fighter.  
'well while you're doing that, I'm going to go stretch out on the couch for a while.' Severus sighed, turning and limping towards the stairs slowly.  
'I've got a couple phone calls to make. Give me a holler if you need any help.' Aloysius added, following Severus downstairs.

Finding the master bedroom, Aloysius eased Severus down on the king-sized bed and knelt to remove his boots before tucking the older man in securely and placing a soft pillow under his injured side.  
'when you're feeling up to it, we're going to treat you to a taste of absolute luxury. A nice villa in Spain, the finest food and wine, romantic sunsets and anything else you could possibly want. You've taken such care of us, it's time we repaid the honour.' Aloysius whispered, pulling his boots off and snuggling down beside Severus comfortably.  
'I couldn't ask for anything more than I've got right now. Well, apart from Rufus joining us in the bed.' Severus grinned, wrapping his good arm around Aloysius and squeezing gently.  
'he'll be here soon, he just wanted to finish what he's doing upstairs first.' Aloysius nodded, shifting a little to ease the burn in his side. 


End file.
